Emerald Eyes
by IvyClimbing
Summary: Through all the crying, laughing, & slapping, James Potter,‘just a friend’, is always there for Lily. So you can imagine her shock when she realizes she's fallen for him. Too bad James is already in love with a girl thats NOT her. Oh the drama! R
1. Fly Away

**Emerald Eyes**

**_Extended Summary:_**

_**Lily Evans does not have even remotely close to a perfect life, but pulls along just fine. She's got her friends, and she's got her enemies, life for her is pretty much well balanced. Then, her enemies become her friends and a best friend is taken away, life is changing fast and drastically. And through all the crying, laughing, Hospital Wing stays and slapping, James Potter, who is 'just a friend', helps her through it all. Then, too late, Lily realizes the one thing in the world she really needs she can't have. Ok, so this is like a Romantic, dramatic fic with a slash of angst and a dash of humor and a kung-fu chop of ACTION. Amen. **_

_**Caution: In later chapters there WILL be rape. Not detailed, but it is a major part of the story. Dont say I didn't warn you!** _

Kay, so here's the deal. I've gone through the beginning chapters two times already trying to fix the crappyness of it, and still, I'm not to pleased with my writing style in the beginning. Too melodramatic, choppy sentences, egh. So I promise you, IT GETS BETTER. Today (5/31/05), I'm going to upload as many re-written chapters as possible and will continue to do so until I see fit. If there's something you'd like me to fix, drop me a review. Thanks and bear with me! The new chapter will come soon.  
**Chapter One: Fly Away**

The moon shown through the triangular window of an attic, lighting up the small and dusty room just enough to see. It was a full moon; a spectacular moon…but still, she hated it. The moon caused pain and pain was something she had plenty of throughout her life, she was well acquainted with it. Because of this, she found it unfair for it to hurt others who did not deserve it.

There was a mattress pressed against a door with a few blankets on the ground. To the right of that there lay a large, flat-topped trunk filled with odd assorted trinkets, among them books, quills, parchment, and robes. A crummy box was filled with a small collection of records, with a record player next to it. Although the collection was very small, it got the job done. An innocent looking broom was leaned against the window, a rather basic thing to have. However, anyone like Lily would immediately ask what make it was (Lily would proudly respond, Shooting Star 2) and then ask eagerly for a test ride. Then, also near the window, was a white metal cage, it's paint chipped from use in a few places, but still serving it's purpose and enclosing a magnificent white owl. The owl was prancing around in its small cage, occasionally pecking at the bars hungrily, letting out small hoots as it rustled around.

You see; Lily Marie Evans is a witch. A witch with magic and dragons and splendid castles reaching up to the clouds. Unknown to half the world, magic does exist, but God forbid those muggles find out. To Lily, magic was not something everyone should know about. It was enough that some people with magic already abused the power; it would be a disaster to have everyone in the world using it. She attended The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was going to return from her summer "vacation" next week to begin her seventh and final year at Hogwarts. She turned seventeen over the summer, making her legal age in the wizarding world. For the most part, Hogwarts was the best place on Earth! There were things and people that she loved and trusted there, it was home to her and no one could ever change that. Not even her crappy excuse of a dad. Not even the stuck-up, snobby girls. Not even James Potter.

Where was this Lily Evans? On the mattress, staring out the window, thinking about how much she hated the full moon. Oh, she did loath it tremendously. Her eyes broke away from the glittering orb and fell onto her arms, scarred and red. This was another reason why she hated the full moon, it made her focus on things she rather just not. Normally, she was positive, energetic, outspoken and lively…but it was nights like these that wore her out. Lily didn't like feeling sorry for herself; she hated the feeling of being powerless and feeble. Therefore, she tried to lighten up her mood, _"Come on Lily, you're not the only one in this world who suffers. You know, you've got it pretty good."_ But even she knew that was a lie.

Yet, the sinking feeling still lingered with her, and she was rather sure that no amount of encouraging words would save her from this feeling of being completely and totally alone. What had she ever done to deserve those scars, you ask? Well, apparently, not arriving home on time to cook dinner was enough to earn her battered arms. Her father, who had been drinking far too much, had gone into hysterics and well…I'm sure you can fill in the blanks. He was a very peculiar man in many ways. Lily was never one to stand aside and let people take control of her, yet…her father was the only person she wouldn't resist when he kicked and hit her so hard every nerve in her body screamed. His eyes were the only ones she could look into and cringe in fear.

Deciding it was far too much wallowing for one night, she stood up, wincing as she rose, and opened the attic to the dark blue night sky. A gust of wind bit her tattered face, blowing her fiery hair and chilling her bones. Then, her owl screeched impatiently, making Lily jump and spin around. Then, with a smile, she undid her pet's cage and placed him on her arm.

"Hey, how ya doing Navy?" She whispered to her friend, who hooted in reply.

"Do you want to go outside?" Lily hushed. His head bobbed in reply as Navy waddled down her arm. Then, reaching her hand, the owl spread his wings wide open, revealing a beautiful array of blue feathers, mixing with the pale white to look strangely like fire. Then, with a jump, Navy was off, soaring through the sky, twirling and spinning higher and higher until he was just a discarded speck in the sky.

Suddenly, there was a harsh pounding on the door that made her jump in shock.

"Shit," She whispered to herself and hastily closed the window shut. Seeing as it was all this magic and wizardry that earned her such a low rank in the eyes of her father and therefore sister, Petunia, Lily was sure that if he caught another sight of an owl, wand, or even a simple charm book, her father would go ballistic.

"LILY EVANS! OPEN THIS DOOR IMMEDIATELY!" Her father yelled. Lily could mentally see his red, raging face.

"HOLD ON!" She yelled back. Bad move, she decided after she said it. That was one hell of a beating that was about to come….

She heard her father sigh. "Lily, please, open the door."

Lily stopped in her tracks, wondering whether or not she had heard her father correctly. Was there a hint of politeness in his voice? It shocked Lily to a point where curiosity drew her to open the door. Curiosity killed the cat, she knew, but never, in her seventeen years of living with him, had she heard this soft tone of voice. Maybe something good might happen? She smiled just slightly at the thought, and gathered her strength to move the mattress and trunk away from the door, towards the window, where it was usually.

She patted down her tangled hair and opened her door. The man standing in front of her she was sure was not her father, seeing as his face looked neither angered nor irritated, and there was a trace of a smile on his lips. His hair was not a complete mess and his clothes were fresh and crisp. Her brain didn't know what to think of anything, not more than five minutes ago he was going crazy and now he was standing calmly in front of her.

When horrible things happen, many people tend to wish for the better. Our hope never dies, which can make us very naive at times. This is an example of one of those times. In the calamity and confusion partaking in Lily's mind, she did not know what to think. Possibly, he could be apologizing? It was too much to hope for, she knew, but it was possible…

A bit of hope rose in her chest. However, she knew it was not to be confirmed until she looked into his eyes. It was a bold move; one that required more strength and bravery than others thought it would take to simply look somebody in the eye. As soon as their eyes met, any hope she had quickly died, leaving an empty feeling in her chest. Despite his clean clothes, pleasant face, and the hint of the smile, his eyes were the only part of him that still looked menacing and deadly. Yet his eyes changed everything. They were filled with the same spiteful hate and anger towards Lily that she had known all her life. She mentally kicked herself for expecting more out of this bastard…

Lily studied him quickly. He was a little overweight and very obviously drunk, now that she thought about it. Yes, now it was so very obvious, his shirt was inside out and he was holding something tight against his back. But what? Suddenly, a glint reflected slightly behind him, and Lily knew immediately the deadly weapon that was placed in his hands, a knife. Like Dei-Ja-Vu, she remembered witnessing this scene, yet from a different angle. Last time, her mother had been in her place and a little Lily was the frightened onlooker.

"W-what are you doing?" Lily asked, breathing heavily.

"What do you mean?" He asked, his tone convincing if it weren't for the fact that his plan had already been revealed.

"You know perfectly well what I mean." Lily snapped, taking in a bit of courage. Slowly, she walked backwards; so slowly you couldn't see her shadow move. Her father walked towards her, but taking long, striding steps forward.

"Lily Marie Evans, you have caused me so much trouble these past years." He said calmly, his eyes however bursting into flames.

"I do everything I can for you. I give you food and a place to sleep at night. You would think you could give me some respect at the very least…" His sentence ended in a slow whisper. He carefully drew the knife from his hands.

"Did your know your mother was the same way?" He asked curiously, studying the knife innocently in his hands. Then he smirked, looking up at her frightened face and giving a small laughter. Lily's heart began to pace in her chest, her breath was running far too fast through her lungs, she was afraid she wasn't going to be able to catch it. Then, she spotted her wand that he had taken from her in his pockets, and before she was able to think about it again, snatched it from him and held it out threateningly. He didn't seem to notice, his eyes were still locked on her.

"Don't you dare do anything to me. I could kill you quicker," She spit out a menacing whisper. The sudden burst of courage was a surprise to her, but it probably came from the idea that this night might be her last. Although plenty of times she had cursed her life, cursed humanity and wished she wouldn't have to live with it…now that her life seemed to be so very fragile, the only thing she could think about was it's incredible beauty, and the fact that she might never feel the warm sun kiss her skin again.

"You're not going back to that little school of yours," He chose to ignore her threat, "In fact, you won't step anywhere outside of this room ever again." These threats fed his smile, and it began to grow maliciously, "Not alive at least."

"I can kill you." Lily's voice shook as she repeated the threat.

He laughed, "You don't have the guts to do it."

And they both knew he was right.

"_Stupefy!"_ Lily shouted, her mind not even thinking about it. Hand still clenched around the knife, her father's eyeballs went white and he fell backwards stiffly. He was not dead, just knocked out. And, judging by her lack of concentration, for not very long either.

Ignoring his still body, she opened her trunk, reached in, and pulled out a sweater, which would never keep her warm, but it was better than nothing. This night was cursed, it was colder than any summer night she'd ever experienced.

"_Pequanio._" Lily shot a spell at her trunks that shrunk them into a small, portable, size. She then did it to her hawk's cage and to her large bag of records. Gingerly putting them into her pockets, she grabbed her broom.

Her chest was aching horribly, it was impossible to even breath in without feeling sick. Although she didn't like healing any wounds by magic, this time proved to be an exception.

"I guess there is a first for everything," she muttered to herself as she said a quick spell under her breath, quickly mending her bones. Lily breathed in a few deep breaths, the first without the pain.

Behind her, her father groaned. Lily spun around and found him regaining his conscience.

"Shit!" Lily cursed. Wasting no time at all, she unlatched her window, pushed it upwards, and crawled outside. The roof had a few loose tiles, and Lily found herself trying to regain her balance. In front of her, small and perfect town houses gazed at her tauntingly. It all looked like a beautiful painting, perfect right down to the trimmed lawns and flowers. Her life was the part that had smudged, the part where you couldn't tell what it was. Lily leaned back against the window as she mounted her broom. Her father was now on his two feet, approaching closer and closer until he was just about half a foot away. Knowing it was now or never, she quickly kicked off the roof and lurched forwards with incredibly speed.

But she wasn't quick enough.

Mr. Evans grabbed at her leg desperately, a drunken grin stumbling onto his expression when he saw that he had successfully trapped her. The freak squirmed and kicked, increasing his annoyance steadily, if that was possible. How dare she do this to him, he was the man of the house, her father, she should obey his every command! Why couldn't he have two respectful daughters, instead of one? No matter, soon he would only have a good daughter left.

With his left hand he reached for his back pocket and pulled out the knife, lifting it into place. Very gracefully he ran the knife downwards, like a bird dropping from the sky. He could feel the knife puncture her skin, and what did he do? He smiled slick smile, a smile that was filled with the joys of hating.

At just about the same time, she had seen him reach for the treacherous knife. With the small amount of energy Lily had flowing in her body, she pulled away. That was the very moment the knife came crashing down on her. As quickly as the knife had entered her leg, it was out; and she was away. She was flying now, on her broom, still completely numb over what had just happened.

The shock that she was away now, alive, free and soaring seemed to block out the pain from the oozing wound and the angry yells coming from her window. All she felt now was the blessed breath flowing through her lungs, and in a weird, twisted way, she had never been happier. True, she was unbelievably angry and sad, but…she had to admit, it felt good to be alive.

It took a minute for Lily to register the pain, and she looked down to see her leg smeared red. And damn, it hurt like hell. Lily winced and gripped her broom tighter, flying faster, anything to ignore her pain. Yet, not even a tear fell from her eyes, because Lily Evans never cried. Ever.

The wind blew her tattered face and blew her what would be gorgeous auburn hair if it hadn't been blown carelessly about. Then again, why should she have to worry about her hair when her life was continuously at threat? Piercing green emerald eyes scanned the horizon. If you were brave enough to look into her eyes, or maybe if you were a foolish passerby with a curiosity the size of a dragon; you saw a pool of endless emotions and thoughts and worries. It all hit you at once, and you wonder how this girl could possibly live with so much anger, hatred, sadness, love, and happiness at the same time. She would probably die from spontaneous combustion, you thought.

Lily knew she was running away, the only question was, to where? Looking down at her bleeding leg, she decided it should be somewhere close. Then she remembered her best friend in the whole world. Why hadn't she remembered instantly? Leah didn't live that far away, it would take at least thirty minutes to get to her house.

Leah, like I said before, was Lily's best friend in the world. Secrets were bad, and lying to each other wasn't even considered. They trusted each other with absolutely anything and everything, and nothing less. They hadn't met until third year though, which was when Leah first arrived to Hogwarts. Lily loved hearing the story over and over again. At twelve, Leah was expelled from Dumstrang (another wizarding school) because she could not behave or get a long with the other students and teachers. Her parents signed the papers and she was sent to Hogwarts, where she met Lily. Then, in fifth year, her parents had died mysteriously over the summer. It was horrible, Lily sadly remembered the sobbing Leah at her doorstep, not knowing how, why, or when they died, but seeing their bodies still, sitting at the table, dead obviously for a good time. She lived alone at the age of fifteen, illegally, of course. Their death remained a secret until two weeks ago, when she turned seventeen and considered an adult. She reported her long-dead parents dead the night after due to a terrible car crash. The Ministry didn't even check, they never did. Lily was a frequent visitor at Leah's house, whenever she could she would escape and spend the rest of the summer there.

Lily spent the whole flight squinting to make out the tiny houses and towns and roads. Somehow, thirty minutes later, Lily found herself in the neighborhood of her friend. Leaning forward, the broom zoomed towards the ground at a dangerous speed. Skillfully, at the very moment she would have hit the ground, she yanked he broom upwards, resulting in a graceful landing. Lily had completely forgotten about her bleeding leg and stood her feet on the ground. The very moment her wounded left leg touched the ground, pain surged throughout her body.

"Damn it!" Lily decided to limp all the way down the street towards Leah's house. Ok, she admitted it must have looked extremely stupid, but it was either that or crawling. Now THAT would have looked stupid.

The cold sidewalk numbed her feet even further, so much she felt like running to just get it over with. Soon enough she was at the steps of medium sized home. Lily smiled to herself, the rest of the week with Leah! Oh, this would be great! She pressed the doorbell impatiently waiting for Leah to open the door. Inside, she heard footsteps on the wooden floor come rushing towards the door and unlocking it.

"Damn it. It's probably the government, I knew they were after me." Leah thought to herself as she unlocked the door and swung it open. In front of her was her best friend standing there helplessly. Leah had to blink once or twice to make sure it really was her.

"Hey there." Lily smiled broadly and widely. She leaned on the stair rail and just smiled.

"Lily?" Leah said in surprise, "Oh my God! I've missed you so much!" Leah swung Lily into a hug, as they laughed into each other's shoulders.

"Same here! This summer has been HELL!" Lily squeezed her friend tightly.

"I'm sorry! Here, come on inside." Leah let go of her and then she pulled her into the warm house and shut the door behind them.

"What brings you here anyway?" Leah asked curiously as they walked up the inside entry stairs.

"Uh, long story." Lily shrugged it off and leaned on the wooden railing once again to help herself up. Leah noticed this and quickly turned to face her.

"What did he do to you?" She demanded angrily.

"Leah, it's nothing big, really-"

"Liar!"

Lily sighed and looked down. "Fine," Her eyes met the worried ones of Leah, "He tried to kill me." She put it shortly and straight to the point.

Leah's eyes rounded like saucers in the sky. She bent forward and tightly grabbed her friend's hand and helped her up slowly. Letting Lily lean on her shoulder, she guided Lily to the living room, where Leah lay her down on the sofa with her leg sticking out in a stiff position.

"Are you alright, Lily?" Leah bit her lip, concerned about her.

"Oh, of course! It's only a small cut." With that, Lily pulled up the bottom of her pants to reveal her blood-spitting wound.

Again, Leah gasped.

"Small cut my arse. How the hell did you make it over here?" Leah asked, studying the wound, trying to decide how she would treat it.

"I flew, you know how I am with flying." Lily combed her orange hair behind her ear. "It was a really nice view, coming here." Lily added with a smile.

Leah laughed, "You're the only person I know who can get stabbed," Leah studied the deep cut, "with a knife is it, and still talk about how beautiful the view was." She shook her head and concentrated on the stab.

"Well, I'll tell you it was such a relief to be gone and alive that I completely forgot about it." Lily shrugged. "But it does hurt…a lot." She winced and added.

"_Accio Magical Aid Kit!"_ Leah carelessly shot the spell out, and a box came zooming down and into her hands from upstairs, like a cannon on a war scene. Something about that made Lily's heart soak in happiness and warmth, it felt so good to be around magic once again.

"Here, let me use this." Leah dumped the boxes contents onto the sofa.

Lily groaned, "You're not going to fix it with magic, are you?"

"Of coarse not!" Leah shook her head; she along with Lily agreed that wounds should not be healed magically. "The medicine is magical, but it doesn't heal it, it just takes the pain away." Leah explained, and Lily agreed to it.

Lily studied her sister with love. They weren't blood related, but they had decided that you didn't need to be blood related to be sisters. Leah had dark, brown, chestnut hair. Her eyes, too, were a milky brown. Wide and excited; and ready to face the world head-on. She was average height and quite slim, but not dangerously slim. She was also mysterious, and only two people in the world really knew her. Like Lily, don't you dare mistake her for a happy person…or a helplessly depressed person either.

"So, what have you been doing over the summer?" Lily asked curiously, leaning her back on the arm of the green leather sofa.

"Well," Leah started as she began to treat the wound, "I've been visiting Remus lately-"

"How's he doing? It's a full moon." Lily interrupted, but after being without contact of her friends for so long she wanted to know everything that had happened.

"He's doing so-so. The rest of his Marauder friends can't make it all of the time to his transformations, and his wolf is used to them." Leah explained.

"I wish we could go and help him. You know, I hate the full moon because of what it does to him."

Leah sighed, "I do too, and it's not fair. But there's nothing we can do about it now."

"I know...I wish there was though. Poor Remus, he has to endure a lot of prejudice towards him. I'd do almost anything to help him, if I could." Lily said, staring out into the space.

"And that is why I will find a cure or a treatment for werewolves." Leah announced as she added the final touches to Lily's leg, and gave it a soft slap, indicating she was finished.

"It's beautiful!" Lily joked as she studied the cloth that was tightly wrapped around her leg. "Well, Dr. Lee-lee, I think you've succeeded once again!" They then gave each other a playful high-five.

Lily swung her feet back onto the floor and stood up, Leah following her gesture proudly. "What time is it?" Lily asked.

"Uh, one-o'clock, why?" Leah asked, checking her watch.

"Because I'm so bloody tired, and I want to go to bed." Lily stretched her arms over her head and let the most welcome yawn escape out of her mouth.

Leah yawned as well, yawns are contagious. "I guess I'll go to bed as well." Leah shrugged and they both made there way up the beige-carpet covered stairs. The pain had evaporated from Lily's leg, and she was free to move about without the piercing pain.

Lily smiled as she saw the pictures plastered on Leah's walls. They contained magical, or moving pictures of Lily and Leah and some with Remus. Others were of Hogwarts and it's majestic landscapes or mysterious and narrow hallways leading into darkness or unexpected creatures. Some hallways had only been seen once before to anyone, and others lay buried and left for someone to yet discover.

Then, remembering the items in her pockets, told Leah, "I'm going to go put this in my room, kay?"

Yes, Lily had her own room, and it was decorated with silver, blue, and purple items. It was rather empty, but once Lily enlarged her items with a simple incantation, it was rather cozy. After brushing her teeth and changing into her pajamas, she ran to Leah's room and knocked.

"Don't knock! Just come in!" Leah opened the door from inside, she too ready to sleep.

"I love being here." Lily sighed and looked around Leah's room.

"I love having you over." Leah smiled and sprawled herself over her bed. Lily plopped into a fluffy bean-bag chair.

"Let's talk about something." Lily suggested, and rested her head on the fluffy bed and pulling a small blanket over her body.

"Ok, what?" Leah asked drowsily.

"Well," Lily began to finger the blanket carelessly, "we could talk about what else we did this summer."

"Ok, how about you start." Leah suggested.

"No, I want to hear about you. Nothing interesting happened to me."

"Well, this summer has been boring without you." Leah admitted. "But I did visit Remus, and his jack-ass friends were over."

"Oh, THEM, they are so annoying." Lily groaned.

"I know, always acting like such pricks. But Remus says they're really great people, just hardly anyone takes the time to get to know them."

"Well how are we supposed to know that when they always act like such asses around everyone else?" Lily asked.

"But they have to be good friends if they became Anamagi for him."

"True." Lily nodded. "But Potter never lays off of anyone. It's always torture for them until he's satisfied."

"And Peter, what good does he do? All he does is make dumb comments and follow them around."

"Exactly, and Sirius, he just walks around the school expecting every girl to drop down to his feet. Black and Potter are pricks!" Lily flailed her arms around in the air.

"You look funny when you do that." Leah commented and yawned again, and closed her eyes.

"I heard that when you yawn the second time it means you're not tired anymore." Lily announced the random fact, only to realize Leah was practically asleep.

"Well, g'night."

Leah mumbled an incoherent good night in return.

"G'night." Lily whispered and flicked the lights off with her wand as she walked out of the room. She tip-toed across the hallway and into her room.

The bed was soft and the blankets were warm. Oh how she loved being in an actual bed, how she missed it. The world was different when you were living in your attic, watching every sly step someone makes. You fears never rested, and they never died. They lived and dwelled in your shadow, and once the lights go out, everything is a shadow.


	2. Visiting Remus

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: I own nada, anything familiar belongs to JK_**

* * *

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_Previously _

"_Exactly, and Sirius, he just walks around the school expecting every girl to drop down to his feet. Sirius and James are pricks." Lily flailed her arms around in the air. _

"You look funny when you do that." Leah commented and yawned again, and closed her eyes.

"I heard that when you yawn the second time it means you're not tired anymore." Lily announced the random fact, only to realize Leah had fallen asleep.

"G'night." Lily whispered and flicked the lights off with her wand as she walked out of the room. She tip-toed across the hallway and into her room. She got her bed ready and brushed her teeth. Before leaving the bathroom, she looked at her face. Her eyes were now worn out, but in a good way. Worn out from the steady and quick climb upwards, from being angry and sad to pure happiness.

* * *

**Chapter Two: Visiting Remus**

Lily opened her eyes drowsily, with a sense of comfort surrounding her. She sat up straight and then fell backwards again. She didn't want to wake up now, it was much too early.

On cue, the door swung open and in strolled Leah with a tray of food.

"Aren't you a happy ray of sunshine?" Lily mumbled as she rubbed her eyes.

"I see you're up!" Leah greeted, and placed the tray on Lily's bed. She then hopped up and sat across from Lily.

"Yeah, and damn tiered." Lily commented before reluctantly taking a sip of the delicious orange juice.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine, my leg feels so much better." Lily said, now in a much better mood that there was food.

"Good."

"Let's go visit Remus today!" Lily suggested.

"Ok." Leah shrugged, "Then we can go shopping for our school supplies."

"Yeah, our letters are bound to come any minute now." Lily agreed.

"Which reminds me, where is Navy?" Leah asked curiously, eying the empty owl cage.

"My wittle owly? Oh, I let him out before I came here. He should find me soon, it won't take him that long to get here."

The two girls then emerged into pointless conversation, movies, music, friends, school, etc; waiting for Lily to finish her breakfast. After her plate was clean, they loaded the dishes into the dishwasher, a magical appliance that Lily was very grateful that Leah owned. Her mother, you see, was a muggle, and her father was a pureblood. It had been a scandal when their marriage had been revealed, but regardless of the comments thrown at her family, Leah had grown up generally happy and in a both muggle and wizarding environment.

"Hold on, you want me to go floo Remus?" Lily offered as the two worked in the kitchen.

"Go ahead, the powder is on-top of the fireplace in a black vase." Leah directed before returning to the large pile of dishes.

Happy to do something other than cleaning the kitchen, Lily washed her hands before running over to the living room, where she grabbed a fist full of floo powder from the black vase.

Kneeling down in front of the fireplace, Lily tossed the green powder into the fire, which caused blue sparks to fly out at either side. "Lupin Manor!" Lily spoke clearly, and waited for someone to answer.

A face appeared into the fire, and it was that of Remus Lupin, Lily's other good friend.

"Hey Remus!" Lily smiled widely.

"Hi Lils! What's up? Where are you?" He asked curiously. Behind his voice, Lily could here lots of other male voices yelling and screaming.

"I'm good, I'm at Leah's right now. I finally got the courage to run away." She announced.

"But you are ok, right?" He asked worriedly.

"Well, aside from a big gash on my left leg, fine." Lily shrugged and pointed at her leg.

"Oh God, how'd that happen?" Remus winced.

"Knife, dad. You know the story." Lily nodded.

"I'm sorry, that sucks. Glad you finally escaped though."

"Hey Moony! Hurry up already!" Lily heard a distant voice on the other side of the fireplace call Remus, who turned around to answer.

"Hold on a second!" Remus called back, and then returned to Lily.

"Are those the rest of your Marauders back there?" Lily laughed.

"Yup!" He said proudly.

"Well, if you don't mind, Leah and I were planning to pay you a visit, is that ok?"

"That's absolutely fine! Just please, as long as you act somewhat civil to the Marauders," Remus smiled.

"Fiiiiine," she drawled melodramatically. "I'll see ya later." They exchanged waves before turning the floo off.

Lily walked happily back to the kitchen, where Leah had just finished cleaning the dishes.

"I'm so tired!" Leah whined as she let her head fall backwards onto the back of the chair.

"Aww, poor Leah." Lily patted Leah's head as she pouted. "If it makes you feel any better Remus let us go over there."

"Hooray." Leah struck her fist in the air lackadaisically, her tone still exhausted.

"Yeah, well I'm going to go get dressed. You coming?" Lily asked, walking backwards towards the stairs.

"M'kay." Leah hauled herself up and followed Lily up the stairs before departing into the respected rooms.

Lily walked over to the closet and searched through the small amount of clothes she had. She picked out some old jeans, flip-flops, and a plain white tank top. Unlike most girls, it didn't take Lily a whole hour to get dressed. As she left the room, she quickly put her hair up and waited for Leah on the top step. After a few minutes, Leah joined her and they walked over to the fireplace once again.

"We really need to get our apparition test done." Lily grumbled to Leah as they galloped down the stairs, she disliked traveling through floo.

"True, but we'll do it later." Leah said lazily as she hastily grabbed and threw some floo powder.

"See you there," She said to Lily before stepping into the fire. "Lupin Manor!" She directed, and with a few sparks and a bit of smoke, she was gone.

Nervous for some reason, Lily did the same and spoke out, "Lupin Manor!" Stepping into the fire was not what it looked like. It felt like water, but colder and more solid, kind of like ghosts passing through you. Lily shivered, and the next moment she was falling un-controllably downward. She shut her eyes tight, waiting for it to be over.

In a matter of seconds the spinning subsided, but the turning and spiraling had made her loose her balance, and she fell onto her knees in the sooty mess.

"Shit, I hate floo." She mumbled angrily. Lily crawled out of the fireplace and into the large, large living room of the Lupin Manor.

"You didn't like that much, did you Lils?" Leah asked sympathetically, and reached out her hand to help Lily up.

"No, not really. Come on, let's go find Remus."

"He's probably outside, knowing him." Leah suggested, and they started to walk forward.

The house had an aura of intellectuality; the feeling probably emitted by the thousands of books piled high on the tables and bookshelves lining the walls. Portraits hung importantly in golden frames, whispering secrets among themselves as the girls passed by. Lily found this quite uncomfortable; she didn't like it that someone was always watching you. After a minute or two of walking, they reached the main hallway which was the center of the house. Before them were two large double doors, made out of glass and perfectly clean, revealing a sunny day outside.

"I think I see him!" Leah announced, pointing through the doors.

"Come on!" Lily swung open the doors and ran outside into the warm and sunny day. They stepped onto a cobblestone path, with green grass all around them.

"This is way to perfect for my liking." Leah said with a hint of disgust.

"Yeah, I'm sort of glad I don't live in such a huge house." Lily nodded in agreement.

"Oh yeah, I see them now, over there! They're having a…picnic?" Leah ended in question.

"Eh? Oh God, they have girls over there!" Lily groaned, they were most probably the ones Lily didn't get along with. Because, hell, it was safe to say that almost all the girls in Hogwarts were not exactly easy to get along with.

"HEY REMUS!" Leah called out loudly.

Lily saw the small figure turn his head towards them, and wave franticly. Lily and Leah ran over onto the area where three boys and two girls were seated on a checkered tablecloth.

"Remus, I've missed you so much!" Lily engulfed her dear friend in a tight hug.

"I've missed you and your amusing comments, too. How are things going?" Remus told her, returning the hug.

"Pretty good since I went to Leah's."

"Hey there, I've seen a lot of you lately," Leah teased as she patted Remus on the forehead.

Remus smiled widely, "Hey Leah. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, darling."

"You come here too often," Remus joked.

"I've never been outside before though…" Leah said, looking around.

"It's… different, isn't it?" Lily agreed.

"Don't blame me! I had no conscious decision." Remus defended himself.

"I'd hope not." Lily teased. Then, a not-so-subtle cough coming from one of the girls reminded the three they were not the only ones there.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?" Lily asked sweetly.

Janet and Lindsey were both, well, frankly sluts. They slept with anyone and everyone they could lay their hands on. Then again, it wasn't such a surprise that they were sitting on the laps of James Potter and Sirius Black. They were, after all, the most popular boys in school, and the biggest players. Lily despised them, but she remained civil some of the time, since they one of Remus' best friends. They were often stuck riding the same carriage to Hogsmade, or on the same compartment too and fro Hogwarts.

Remus had light, sandy blonde hair. It was short, and his eyes were amber, like a wolf's. He in general was kind, loving, sweet, and smart. Remus and Lily had been friends for a while, but Remus had his own group. Part of this group in fact, was staring at Leah and Lily un-welcomingly.

Sirius was one of the most wanted guys in the entire school. The object of many girl's affection, he was, of course, popular and devilishly handsome. His hair was long and shaggy, a midnight black that added a mysterious feeling to him. Tall, dark, and handsome, that was Sirius. With someone with such charming looks, he easily got any girl he wanted, and just as easily dropped them once hey got bored. This was the main reason why Lily despised him, Sirius had no consideration towards other's feelings, especially women's.

James was also one of the most sought after guys in Hogwarts. His hair was wild and unruly, wind blown and untamable, girls claimed it was just heaven passing your fingers through the mass. Lily could only imagine how annoying that would be. Some argued that it was his hazel eyes that won all those hearts, and by just one glimpse into those vast swirls, framed neatly with glasses, your legs would turn to jello. There were many things girls loved about him, such as his Quiditch-induced muscles, or his charming grin, his flirtatious ways or the heaps of gold attached to his family name. It was a well-known fact that the Potters were heirs of Godric Gryffindor; so obviously, he was in Lily's house, Gryffindor. Him, like Sirius, was a player, known for his broom closet snogs and one-night stands. And, of course, his many detentions due to the pranks he and the Marauders pulled.

"Remus, what are they doing here?" James eyed Lily and Leah.

"We're visiting Remus, dumbass," Lily rolled her eyes, already fed up with the git.

Remus groaned audibly.

"Why did you let them come over?" Sirius hissed at his friend.

"They're my friends, so shut up and live with it." He hissed back.

Normally, James wouldn't mind at all, he'd shrug and live with it. Although the two girls weren't his friends, and he did love to make fun of them, they really weren't all that bad. But today, with Janet and Lindsey here, he had an audience to entertain and a reputation to live up to.

"Look at their arms," Lindsey commented with schok.

"_Bitch,"_ Lily thought to herself, letting out a glare.

James' mind was racing, and before he got a chance to think, he said, "Lindsey, darling, she's probably one of those psycho freaks who hurt themselves overdramatically because they think their life is the worst and they're so depressed and what not. Don't bother her, she might do something drastic."

He immediately regretted saying that upon seeing the bit of hurt on Lily's face before rapidly burning with anger. Even Sirius seemed a bit surprised; they usually didn't pry that far to get a laugh.

Leah, who was normally a very rational person, lunged at James upon hearing the cruel words directed to her best friend.

"Take that back, you ass!" Leah was pinning him down to the ground, her eyes blazing.

James angrily pushed her off, and she landed with a loud thud on her back.

"What's wrong with you?" James said stubbornly as he brushed imaginary dirt off his shirt.

"What's wrong with _her_? I think you mean what's wrong with _you_! Your over inflated ego doesn't give you a right to make dumb remarks and judgments on people's lives! What, do you expect people to bow down at your feet or die? You need to get a freaking life, you bloody twat." Lily said icily, keeping her tone under control, somehow, but effectively making her point.

"Okay, then where do all those scars come from, huh?"

Remus was about to interfere when Leah leaned into him menacingly, so their faces were inches apart.

"Don't you go there, or let me assure you, you'll die and crumble in hell. Don't make fun of the things you don't understand, alright little boy?" Leah whispered threateningly.

Today it seemed like James just couldn't' keep his mouth shut. He was about to say something else when Remus fiercely grabbed his shoulder and pulled him up, then dragging him a few yards away from the crowd so that he could scold him.

"What the hell was that, Prongs? You're never like this, why are you being such an ass?"

James sighed, "Sorry Moony. I got carried away, it's just…they're so fun to tease..."

"Well James, seriously, Lily has been through hell at the moment, so don't even go there. God, I cannot believe you! Why can't you be just James, not an asshole, around them? You guys would get along great if you weren't so freakin' stubborn!" Remus ranted, tugging at his hair.

James _was_ an incredibly stubborn boy, he didn't want to admit anything that he knew would make him look bad or even bring up the fact that he was wrong about something. But Remus was his friend, so he might as well say sorry.

"I'm sorry Remus, forgive me." James said sorrowfully.

"Don't say that to me, say it to Lily and Leah. You really had no idea what you said did you?" Remus asked.

"No, not really." James admitted flippantly.

"Well you're going to say sorry to her. LILY! GET OVER HERE!" Remus called, and James groaned.

Lily and Leah shared a glance before Lily stomped up to Remus and asked shortly, "What?"

"James has something to say to you." Remus said and left quickly, and James' mouth dropped down.

"W-w-what?" James stuttered, Remus could be so random sometimes. Inwardly, Remus smiled. He loved torturing James, it was so hilarious.

Lily raised an eyebrow, waiting for something. "If you're going to say something, say it now." She folded her arms on her chest and waited, with a frown lingering over her face.

"Well, uh, I just wanted to say sorry, because, uh-"

"Remus told you to?" Lily interrupted, and a small smile tickled the edges of her lips.

"Um, yeah." James chuckled. "But I do feel guilty because I just assumed that and stuff and I didn't know if it was true so-"

"Shut up, you're rambling." This time, Lily smiled.

"_Bloody hell, why am I smiling at James Potter?"_ Lily thought silently to herself.

"_Why am I so clammy? I can usually talk without saying 'uh' and 'um', especially with girls!"_ The arrogant Quiditch player thought.

"Right. Well, again, I'm sorry?" He asked in question.

She smiled, "Sure. Just never EVER again in the history of the world do that or I _will_ go Darth-Vader on you."

James shot her a quizzical look.

"Muggle thing, don't worry about it." Lily laughed.

"_I've never heard her laugh before," James thought to himself._

And with that, she turned around and left as quickly as she had come.

"What was that all about?" Leah grabbed Lily's arm once she had approached and pulled her downwards so that no one could hear them.

"Potter wanted to say sorry to me." Lily rolled her eyes. "I don't even think he meant it." She shrugged it off however.

"Why were you smiling?" Leah asked curiously, a devious idea rolling around her head.

Lily, again, shrugged. "I'm not sure. I like smiling? It was really weird though, because he was stuttering! Tell me, Leah, have you ever seen the git stutter? Trust me, it was good." Lily raised her eyebrows and nodded with a smirk on her face.

Leah laughed, "I bet it was. Anyway, let's get back quick before they think we're plotting against them."

"Are we not?"

"No."

"Damn!"

It was around 3 o'clock, and the clouds started to sway into place over the sun, casting a gloomy shade of darkness over the Lupin Manor.

"It's going to rain." Lily announced, as she looked up at the grey sky. It smelled like rain, too.

Janet squealed. "Oh no! My hair, James! My hair is going to get all ruined!" She began to pout and slouch, wiping away some non-existent tears from her make-up caked eyes.

Heroically, James stood up and offered a hand down to the 'damsel in distress'. She giggled and took his hand, as he pulled her up.

"We should get going now. You two," James pointed at Leah and Lily, "Pick up the things while I get this fine lady to the house."

Lily snorted loudly, and James turned to glare at her.

"Fine. Since some people here are not very co-operative, I'll have to do everything myself!" He declared arrogantly. "_Hastaila!" _James sent out a quick and simple spell that immediately picked the picknick up. First, the tablecloth rose into the air and folded itself over. Then, all the plates and pans neatly stacked themselves in mid-air and landed gently inside the now hovering basket.

"Oh my, that looked hard." Leah said sarcastically.

Far off, thunder rumbled through the horizon.

"Come on, let's go before it starts to rain." Remus suggested.

Everyone ran towards the door, Lily and Leah lagging lazily behind the group. Then, like a popped balloon, water poured down from the sky in large drops, soaking their clothes rapidly.

"Shit." Leah sighed, defeated by nature.

"Oh, come on, you sissy. I love the rain!" Lily threw her hands up and twirled like a drunk ballerina.

"You have no balance at all, do you know that?" Leah turned around and walked backwards.

"Come on! Join me!" Lily chided as she pushed Leah.

Un-prepared, Leah slipped on the wet grass and fell straight on her ass. She opened her mouth wide in pain and rubbed her butt.

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" Lily bit her lip to stop herself from bursting into flames of laughter.

"You little-" Leah grabbed a handful of mud and flung it straight at Lily's face. It landed on her head, and it took a moment for her to recover.

"This is war!" She cried as she, too, grabbed some mud and lunged it at Leah. Leah squealed and blocked it with her arm. She quickly stood up and ran smack dab into Lily, who stumbled backwards and landed on the ground.

"Revenge!" Leah cried, and began an evil mock laughter.

Lily then formed a gun with her hand and began to roll around in the mud. Then suddenly, she hopped up and shot like crazy at imaginary targets.

Leah laughed, and she too pulled out her imaginary gun.

"Quick," she whispered, "they have us surrounded!"

"I have an idea." Lily whispered back.

"What?"

"We're going to try and pull off a stunt, okay?"

"Alright."

"We're going to hold hands, back to back, and im going to lean forward and you're going to try to flip over me. Okay?"

"Ok."

"Ready?"

"Ready."

"Go!"

They both synchronized their movements perfectly, but not surprisingly, they ended in the mud laughing their heads off.

"You're so fat Leah!" Lily laughed.

"Or maybe you're just a tiny little weakling who can't stand any weight!" Leah said back. They were both sitting down on the ground, the rain still pouring down like there was no tomorrow. Their clothes were now white, black, and gray with mud. Their hair was sprawled in different directions, wet and damp. They just sat there in silence, reflecting on this wonderful friendship the girls both shared. Best friends forever. _Forever is a long time._ Lily thought.

Lily found this moment one of the best she could remember. Sadly, it was going to be the last one for a very long time.


	3. Meet Mary

Emerald Eyes  
  
Previously "Or maybe you're just a tiny little weakling who cant stand any weight!" Leah said back. They were both sitting down on the ground, the rain still pouring down like there was no tomorrow. Their clothes were now white, black, and gray with mud. Their hair was sprawled in different directions, wet and damp. They just sat there in silence, reflecting on this wonderful friendship the girls both shared. Best friends forever. Forever is a long time. Lily thought. Lily found this moment one of the best she could remember. Sadly, it was going to be the last one for a very long time.  
  
Chapter Three: Meeting Mary Remus, Sirius, James, Janet, and Lindsey all arrived soaking wet from head to toe, and were all breathing heavily from the run over. They all just stood there in the perfectly groomed house, letting each drop land on the previously polished floor. Now it was muddy and wet.  
  
"I-I-I'm so cold!" Lindsey shivered.  
  
"I'm all wet!" Janet began to form tears in her eyes, as she attempted to shake off.  
  
"EVA!" Remus called to one of the maids who was walking officially down the long hallway.  
  
"Oh my God!" She cried and tip-toed over to the soaking wet teenagers. "What on earth happened to you all?"  
  
Eva was the family maid, the head of the maids. She was devoted to the family, and they all loved her. Her voice was sweet and loving, and was always kind to everyone.  
  
"Soaked in the rain," Remus shook his head, "But we need clean towels, please." He asked politely.  
  
"Of coarse now, dear! I don't want any of you kids catching a cold! No, no, no! That would be horrible! School starts soon, you can't be sick for school!" She tuted and rambled as she arrived with some big and white fluffy towels in her arm.  
  
"I saw your two other friends back there so I got them some towels, too." Eva said, and handed Remus two extra towels. She brushed her short, curly gray hair behind her ears, obviously proud of herself.  
  
"Oh, uh, thanks!" Remus said as everyone turned to look at the windows.  
  
"Will that be all?" Eva asked kindly.  
  
"Yes, that will be it." Remus nodded and she smiled and got went back to her work.  
  
"Um, I think I'm going to apperate back to my house, I seriously cant let my hair dry like this. I'll see you guys at school, okay?" Janet announced, walking towards the fireplace and blowing a flirtatious kiss to the boys. "Bye!"  
  
"Bye baby!" Lindsey kissed Sirius lightly on the cheek, who winced from the mud on her face.  
  
"Umm...bye." Sirius said awkwardly, but Lindsey was already walking quickly to the fireplace.  
  
"See you later." Janet winked at James and sprung around to follow Lindsey.  
  
"Ok then..."  
  
"That was odd. Anyway, what are Lily Leah doing?" Remus asked curiously once they were gone.  
  
"What the hell ARE they doing?" Sirius squinted, watching Lily and Leah walking by.  
  
Remus, however, smiled. "They're having fun. God, they're great. You guys should really give them a chance. You guys are my friends, so I'll tell you the truth. The both of you, especially you, James, were absolutely horrible bastards to them." He turned to look at his fellow Marauders.  
  
They looked down, not wishing to meat his eyes. They had talked about this numerous times.  
  
"They should give us a chance!" Sirius exclaimed.  
  
"True, but how can they give you a chance when you're always making fun of them?" Remus asked, eyebrows raised challengingly.  
  
"They're just so...I don't know." James shrugged in lack of words.  
  
"James. I know when you're lying. Seriously, I want to know."  
  
"Well, I guess its because I've never had friends, even acquaintances, like them."  
  
"Oh, thanks. So you mean Sirius Peter and I aren't funny, outgoing, trustworthy and smart? I'm offended."  
  
"Outgoing? Nobody likes them."  
  
"Because of you two, taunting and teasing them. It's made a lasting impression on everyone and even if you became friends with them now everyone will still think of them as what you made it look like they were."  
  
"But..." James Potter was never wrong, or, well, he never admitted it, "they're so....different..." Ok, James admitted, he lost this fight.  
  
"So? That's why they're great. You will never, ever, find anyone like them." Remus paused for a moment as they sat down on the ground, against the door.  
  
"You don't see it, do you?" Remus asked, searching their face for an answer.  
  
"See what?" James and Sirius said, at the same time and looking up.  
  
Remus looked at them disbelievingly. "Never minds. Anyway, do it for me, please? Make a teensie weensie effort to be nice?" Remus pleaded, and as much as they didn't want to, James and Sirius reluctantly agreed. Just for Remus.  
  
The moment was then ruined by some laughing and pounding at the door that they were leaning on. Startled, the three quickly moved back to let Lily and Leah in.  
  
James thought she looked beautiful. Of coarse, he thought this so deep he did not even admit it to himself. But trust me, he did. Her eyes were shining, no, they were beaming with joy. He never saw this side of Lily. She was laughing her head off!  
  
"Oh my God Lily! That was so fun!" Leah laughed, gasping in delight for air.  
  
"Help me Leah, help me!" Lily laughed and leaned on Leah for support, resulting with them on the floor, their sides splitting with laughter.  
  
"Lily...Leah? Are you guys okay?" Remus asked, his eyes gleaming.  
  
"Help-us!" Lily said between peals of laughter.  
  
The other three watched the two girls curiously as their laughter died down, but the wide and energetic smile didn't.  
  
"You should have stayed out there with us, Remus." Leah said, sitting up on the ground.  
  
"I'll pass." Remus grinned. "Anyhow, do you guys want to stay tonight? It'll be awesome. James and Sirius are staying, too though."  
  
Lily and Leah shrugged, "Sure, why not?"  
  
"Yes! This is going to be awesome!" Remus exclaimed happily.  
  
"What'd you mean?" Leah raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, you see I'm also inviting my cousin from my mom's side. You might know her, Mary, she's a Ravenclaw in our year."  
  
"I've seen her in the hallways." Lily nodded.  
  
"Oh her! Yeah, she was my partner in Herbology. She's so polite! It was actually a little scary." Leah added, recalling the moment.  
  
"She's like that." Remus admitted.  
  
"Oh, oh! Is she that really hot brunette?" Sirius grinned longingly.  
  
"She's my cousin...I don't think of her as 'the hot brunette'." Remus cringed.  
  
"When is she coming?" James asked.  
  
"Anytime now actually." Remus replied after quickly checking his watch.  
  
After a few more minutes of talking, their heads turned towards the now green, crackling fire. Out of it, stepped a tall and sleek girl. She had a pink dress that swayed down perfectly, and her brown hair was loose and wavy. Her cheeks were decorated with some pink blush, and her eyebrows danced with glitter. It looked like she was laughing silently to herself, then again she always was smiling. Always. I mean, this girl seriously smiled in her sleep.  
  
"Mary!" Remus called out to his cousin and waved.  
  
"Remus, how nice to see you!" Mary said sweetly and trotted down towards him. She gave him a quick hug and said, "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?" Lily noticed her very high-pitched voice.  
  
"Yeah. Mary, this is Leah." Leah smiled and nodded her head slightly, "this is Lily," Lily waved politely, "this is Sirius," Sirius kissed Mary's hand, causing her to giggle, "and this is James." James was dumbstruck. He tried to wave, and then tried to smile, but it all got mixed together.  
  
"Hi there James." Mary smiled seductively, but in the most innocent way possible.  
  
"H-hi." James stuttered, he was very surprised at himself. Twice today he stuttered while talking to girls! This was absolutely un-thinkable! Crazy!  
  
"Mary, James, do you guys want to go get the snacks? You know where the kitchen is, right?" Remus asked, smiling knowingly at James' face.  
  
James was staring at her, "Yes." He said faintly and heard Mary giggle.  
  
"The kitchen's that way." James pointed and they started to walk down the isles in that direction.  
  
"Well then. I don't think I'll ever see that scene again." Sirius was very confused now. Wasn't James, too, a player? Wasn't he also a king of hearts? James had never really acted this way before, unless he was in a Quiditch shop. "But," Sirius thought, "Jamsie LOVES Quiditch!"  
  
Sirius gasped in realization, "Prongs loves Mary!" He squealed in delight and then began to laugh un-controllably.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't say love. But, God, James is NEVER like that. It's going to be a one night stand that lasts longer than a night." Remus crossed his arms and tried to look down the hall, in hope of finding the two still walking.  
  
"Hey, James is weird." Lily shrugged.  
  
"So, uh, is you're last name Lupin, too?" James asked hesitantly.  
  
"No, my father is a muggle. His last name is Davidson." Mary explained sweetly and laced her hands together in front of her.  
  
"Mary Davidson. That's nice." He decided to compliment her as much as possible. James thought he could probably squeeze a good snog out of her if he tried. So, he tried to be as cool and collected as possible. You know, the Potter Charm. Yep, in capitals, he was that good.  
  
"You're the heir of Godric Gryffindor, aren't you?" Mary asked.  
  
"Yup, that's me!" James looked quite smug, and his ego began to filter into his head once again like normal.  
  
"Wow. That's amazing." Mary smiled and looked at him in the eye, she blushed and quickly looked down.  
  
"So, uh, how has your summer been?" James asked kindly. First, he needed to soften her up. Rule #1Girls were weaker when softened up.  
  
"It was absolutely wonderful! My mum took me to Paris, it was amazing. Of coarse, Papa is in the French Ministry, so we where treated in First Class." She bragged, "Have you ever been to Paris?" Mary cocked her head to one side and gave him a sly smile.  
  
"No, no I haven't." James replied.  
  
"It's gorgeous!"  
  
"I'm sure it is." James grinned. Mary was not like any of his other past girlfriends, she was, well, more angelic. All his other girlfriends got straight down to the point, sexy and seductive. Mary was more of an innocent cover that everyone knew was just there but liked it anyway.  
  
"So, how has your summer been?" Mary asked, as she carefully slipped her hand around his waist. Grinning mischeviously, she looked up at him,  
  
James stopped immediately in his tracks and looked down at Mary's soft arm. That took him completely by shock, and now his whole body was tingling with warmth.  
  
He grinned widely, "Just fine." And he, too, slipped his arm around her waist.  
  
Oh, this was plain torture. He wanted so badly to just push her into a snog session then timidly tell her it wouldn't work, but he couldn't. Not yet, he had to wait till the timing was right. If he had the timing down, she would do much more for him. Or at least snog him better.  
  
"There's Prongs!" Sirius jumped up from the sofa he was sitting on and ran over to James and wrapped him in a huge bear hug.  
  
"James! We where getting so worried about you!" Sirius spoke into James' shoulder. "We-we-we where worried you ditched us for Mary and a bed!"  
  
Lily, Leah, and Remus tried to stifle a laugh as James' and Mary's faces turned a deep, deep red.  
  
"Padfoot!" James hissed, struggling to get out of Sirius' grip.  
  
"What?" Sirius obviously hadn't noticed.  
  
"Get the fuck off me!"  
  
Sirius quickly let go, and gasped. "FINE JAMES! It would never have worked out between us, anyway!" Sirius clapped his hands over his mouth as if he was about to cry, and quickly ran into the sofa and buried his face in the cushions.  
  
"Is he always like that, Jamsie-poo?" Mary looked up at James' eyes and put her arm around his shoulder.  
  
"I'm afraid so." James was feeling extremely great right now. He had a gorgeous girl in his arms right now who was much more than the usually girls he played with. And, not only that, he enjoyed her presence! He thought. A thought tingled in his head, maybe this was love! But no, it was to soon. Plus, James Potter would NEVER fall in love. Ever. EVER.  
  
"Wait, wait, wait a minute!" Remus stopped the couple as they were leaning in for a kiss.  
  
"In the," Remus checked his watch, "fifteen minutes you where gone, you're already together?"  
  
"Well, not really together yet, but there is something. He's so sweet and kind!" Mary smiled delicately and earnestly.  
  
Lily coughed an obviously fake cough that was so loud James turned to glare at her, "What're you smoking?"  
  
Leah and Remus could tell it was a joke, because she always made those sarcastic comments even to them. But, since James and Lily had such a...history, a tension, James snapped.  
  
"What's your problem?" He hissed.  
  
"What's my problem? My problem is YOU! You're sickening!" Alright, so Lily WAS in the mood to get in an argument...but he really was sort of puke- provoking.  
  
"Sickening? Your FACE is sickening!"  
  
Lily laughed. "Oh come on! My sister, Petunia, used that line on my three years ago, and she's as smart as a potato. What's sickening is in fifteen minutes, you think you're crazy for someone!"  
  
"Why should you care about my love-life?" James had already put his hands down from Mary and was yelling at Lily.  
  
"I DON'T care! You ASKED me what my problem was so I TOLD YOU!" Lily clenched her hands.  
  
"Why are you so uptight?"  
  
"Uptight? I'm not uptight!" Lily practically yelled.  
  
"You are too uptight! Just go somewhere where you're wanted!"  
  
"I could say the same!"  
  
"Yeah?" James hesitated to think of a comeback, "Well I'm wanted everywhere."  
  
"There we go again James! You think you're the king of the world trotting around, hexing people like there's no tomorrow. Think about other people for a change!"  
  
"I DO THINK OF OTHER PEOPLE!"  
  
"Really? Name one person!?" Lily crossed her arms.  
  
"Remus." James spat out. Lily all of a sudden looked very gloomy. She knew he was right.  
  
"Well, you've still got an ego the size of the sun." Lily mumbled.  
  
"Didn't your mother ever teach you any manners?" James said sarcastically, spitting every word with venom.  
  
Leah groaned. Oh god he just had a way with words, didn't he?  
  
"My mother," Lily spat, "didn't stay in this world long enough to teach me even to read properly." She said this very coolly, but inside, she was burning up. How dare he? I mean, how dare he? Twice in one day he just had to go bring up her past, didn't he? And she was sure he knew, too.  
  
James was going to say something, or maybe his mouth was just moving up and down in a speechless manner, but Lily did not stick around to find out. She quickly turned her heel and walked steadily down the hall, her back straight, she wouldn't sulk. When the sound of Lily's shoes were now not more than a faint whisper, James too turned around angrily and stomped down the hall. To the kitchen, he decided. Food made him feel good.  
  
Leah sighed and ran after Lily, and Mary ran to catch up with James' retreating back.  
  
And, in the middle of this war, sat Remus and Sirius. Remus was shaking his head at his two friends' stubbornness. Sirius was playing with some lint, completely oblivious to the scene.  
  
"Well, Padfoot, I guess its just you and me," Remus sat down on the sofa and let out a long sigh.  
  
"I guess it is my friend." Sirius nodded. Then moments later, "Hey, want to play a game of Exploding Snap?"  
  
"Lily!" Leah called, "Lily wait!"  
  
Lily stopped reluctantly in her tracks, "What?"  
  
Leah caught up with her and then said, "Are you okay?" Leah knew Lily was the strongest person she knew, but it didn't hurt to be worried about her.  
  
"Well, I'm angry." Lily did not need to say that, it might have as well been written in gigantic letters over her forehead.  
  
"James was a jerk for that. He is arrogant and he does have an ego. But you shouldn't have said that he didn't think about anyone else. We both know the danger he's in just to help Remus out one night every month. Animigus, Lily. Un-registered, too." Leah said carefully, she didn't want Lily to spring a temper tantrum on her.  
  
"I know, I didn't think." Lily sighed and let her shoulders drop.  
  
"You're right you didn't. Neither did James. So now you're even." Leah declared, and when she said it in that manner, you knew it was a dead topic.  
  
"I guess so." Lily paused for a moment, "I'm hungry, let's go back."  
  
Leah shook her head, but laughed anyways. Forgetting it had ever happened, they happily trotted back towards where they had come from.  
  
"James, stop!" Mary pleaded, attempting to get James to stop. She tried to run a little faster, which was usless.  
  
James struggled to ignore her, and kept stomping down towards the kitchen.  
  
"James!" Mary cried in dismay, her voice soft and angelic. That he could not resist.  
  
"Damnit! Why?"  
  
"Fine!" James snapped and did stop, but didn't face her, just waited for her to walked up to him.  
  
"I'm sorry that had to happen," Mary frowned and pulled him into a soft hug, cradling her arms around his neck, attempting to look at his eyes.  
  
"I hate that girl!" James spat, and looked away from Mary. Lily could be so inconsiderate sometimes! Thinking she had the worst life in the world. He fumbled in his anger for a moment.  
  
"I know you do, and frankly I think she's a nosy whore, but don't let her ruin you!" Mary lifted her hand to his cheek and softly let her finger drag until it reached his shoulders. For an reason that was un-known to James, this sent shivers trailing down his spine.  
  
"Then why do I feel bad for bringing up her mum?" James asked. His mind was boggled up, but he was sure that if Mary was able to stop him on the way to the kitchen, she could give him somewhat of a right answer.  
  
"She needed a reality check, anyway." Mary shrugged.  
  
James frown was tugged upwards slightly, "I guess you're right." He captured her hand in his and looked at her perfect face. Her face was completely flawless. Not a scratch or bump. Her eyes were pretty, a nice blue. This aura around her just made you calm. However, his conscious bothered him. No one could be that kind without wanting something... No, Mary was a saint. Yes, that was it, Mary was flawless. And it wasn't like they just met either, they had flirted in the halls...once or twice a while ago.  
  
A sudden urge forced him to trail his finger down her curled and shoulder lengthed hair. He would have never been caught dead just talking to a girl like this. All his past girlfriends had been toys which he had played with and then dropped, like a clueless five year old.  
  
Mary couldn't resist, she flung her arms around his neck and reached up to him. Time for James seemed to stop for a moment. Mary's soft lips touched his, this kiss was sweet. Not full of kinky-ness which James was used to, it was like one of those scenes from a movie those girls loved watching. Ew. Gross. Unless you were the guy being kissed by the girl  
  
Mary ran her fingers towards his hair and curled it around her finger, just like him. James' hands traveled her body, down to her waist and carefully up again. Mary jerked, leaving James there hanging there in suspense.  
  
"I'm sorry about that." Mary chocked. As much as she would be honored to be another of James' twenty-four hour girlfriends, she wanted to be more than that. She was seventeen and foolish, and thought that James could give her all she needed to complete in her life, and she could still wear him as a trophy to show the girls she got him for more than a week. That's why she pulled away, because she wanted more than she thought James would give. And she had the perfect plan....  
  
"What?" James cried in surprise, a small hint of hurt. Mary was confused, what was he doing? "I mean, don't be sorry. It's my fault." James looked down at the floor subconsciously.  
  
"It's okay. Just forget it happened. Now, where were you going?" Mary brushed it off, and her voice got more cheery.  
  
"Now, I was going to the kitchens, care to join me?" James stood up straight and offered his arm to her, who laughed gently. But, for a second of a moment, he was hurt. Turned down, shot down. That to him was new, and that was bad.  
  
"Of coarse I will, sir!" Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she linked arms with his and walked elegantly towards the kitchen.  
  
God, people are so good at hiding their feelings when they're just bursting to come out.  
  
TADA! Tell me what you think! Be critics! hehe. I love you all dearly. 


	4. Insanity

**Emerald Eyes**

_

* * *

_

_Previously_

_"It's okay. Just forget it happened. Now, where were you going?" Mary brushed it off, and her voice got more cheery.  
  
"Now, I was going to the kitchens, care to join me?" James stood up straight and offered his arm to her, who laughed gently. But, for a second of a moment, he was hurt. Turned down, shot down. That to him was new, and that was bad.  
  
"Of coarse I will, sir!" Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she linked arms with his and walked elegantly towards the kitchen.  
  
God, people are so good at hiding their feelings when they're just bursting to come out_

* * *

**Chapter Four: Insanity**

After about six hours of eating multiple brands of chocolate and playing continuous rounds of Exploding Snap and watching a movie or so, they where completely exhausted. They had watched The Wizard of Oz, and so of course Remus and Sirius where in complete awe. Lily had seen it a billion and one times, and was completely sick of it. Leah was asleep on her shoulder.

Mary and James where nowhere to be seen, but honestly, Lily didn't miss them. She really couldn't stand little-miss-goody-goody always being polite and completely flawless. What a lie. And of coarse James' overly big ego got occasionally annoying.

"That was such a good movie!" Sirius declared as he poked the button on the TV and it zapped off.

"I know! That was such an awesome dog!" Remus cried.

"Toto?" Lily repeated, "Remus that's just scary."

Leah groaned and mumbled, "I want to go to sleep." She was spread across the couch and her legs where over the arm and her head on Lily's shoulder.

Lily yawned, "Yeah, we should go to sleep now. Where are we sleeping?" Lily turned her head lazily to look at Remus.

"Right hallway, second alley, third door on the left. Leah's is across from yours." Remus said quickly, as if he knew the whole house by heart.

"Thanks. Night Remus." She gave him a hug and he returned it. "Night Sirius." She patted his head and grinned in return.

She helped the drowsy Leah off the sofa as they stumbled over to their rooms. The house was so incredibly huge it scared her. And every single door was the same; every single alley was a clone of the previous and the next. It reminded her of when she was at a hospital right after her mother had died. A neighbor reported the mother missing, and Lily's father, as to not look suspicious, agreed to visit the hospital to see if she had turned up. Lily remembered the coldness and the stale air of that place. It's walls were all white, and so were its doors. Then, she was just tall enough for her eyes to wander the faces of the patients. She passed rows over rows of stretcher beds, each face was as blank as the next. Each face was pale and sickly; each face had death etched into their skin.

She arrived at her room, and she shook the thought away. Leah, more awake now, asked, "Lily, what's wrong?"

"Let's go in my room." Lily asked, and Leah shrugged and followed her inside.

The room was the typical room, canopy bed, soft pillows, pink curtains. Lily scrunched her nose and with a flick of her wand, the room looked like the room at Leah's. They both jumped onto the bed and sat cross-legged facing each other.

"James," Lily started, "just stirred up old memories of my mom. And, well, you know what that's like. And the house reminds me of the hospital. Everything was so blank, just like everything is now. Leah, you and Remus are really the highlights of my life. I love you guys so much."

"Lily, stop it. Listen to yourself! You sound like a girl on the verge to suicide! Weren't you the one who told me that if life wasn't worth living, you might as well fight it? And you have great things in life, and you know it. You have friends, a great pet, and a wonderful gift." Leah grabbed Lily's arm fiercely, forcing her to listen.

Lily sighed, "You're right. I'm being so god damn selfish! Forgive me?" Lily put on a puppy dog smile.

"Of course!" Leah hugged Lily really quickly and then said, "Is there anything else you feel like saying?"

"Umm…yeah. Sirius is a lot nicer than he seems."

"What about James?"

"Idiot." Lily said quickly, sparing no time to think.

Leah shrugged. "Alright then. Goodnight. Wake me up if you need anything." As she put up he straight brown hair into a sloppy bun, she walked out the door.

"Night." Lily called and then the door shut.

Hopping onto her feet, Lily moved towards her closet. Randomly picking out some pajamas, Lily slipped them on comfortably. At midnight, she was in bed and clicking off the lights.

_Lily closed her eyes and waited for sleep to drift into her. But it didn't. She shifted un-comfortably, re-adjusting her pillows and pulling up the blankets higher. Whatever she did didn't work, images and fear rolled around her mind like a giant boulder, and leaving an empty feeling in her stomach. Somehow, maybe an hour later, she found sleep. _

_It was dark, and Lily new she was dreaming. But, it felt so realistic. Through the darkness she saw figures shifting, cloaked figures walking slyly towards a bed. Lily tried to feel her face, but her hands did not move. It was her body, she knew it, but she had no control over it. Like being in a car that drove its self through the busy streets._

_All of a sudden, there was a loud crash and her body stood up. She gave up in trying to control her body; she knew this was a dream she would have to watch from her own body and from her point of view but have no say in it._

_A deep voice called out to her, "Lily! Take Harry and run!" _

_Her body did as she was told and reached into a crib and pulled out a body of a small boy. She could see the figure now, it was coming into view. It's cape was long and black, and he was tall and slender. His wand was pointed at the man that had called her._

_"NO, STOP!" The words shot out from her mouth, however the cloaked man ignored her._

_"LILY! RUN! NOW!" The voice ordered her, but her body was to scared to move._

_"Avada Kedavra!" The figure shot the killing curse at the man, and she knew she had lost somebody._

_"NO!" And there was a thud, and he was silent._

_Lily's body was filled with tears, but she was still clutching the tiny body in her arms. She wondered who had just died, but instinct told her she loved this person more than she had ever loved anyone, along with the baby in her arms. _

_The figure turned slowly to Lily._

_"Move, now, you silly Mudblood." The voice drawled, it was cold and sickening, and it stopped Lily's heart._

_"NO! YOU GO AWAY!" She screamed._

_"Step aside, now!" The voice was harsh and commanding._

_"No! Don't take Harry! Take me instead! Don't kill him!" Lily cried, pleaded with all she had left. She would do anything, anything at all to save this boy that Lily knew was her life. _

_"Avada Kedavra!" A stream of green shot out from the wand, and it was directed against her chest. She couldn't have avoided it anyway, being trapped against the corner of the room. You cant escape the killing curse…_

_The green light grew nearer, and her hope grew distant. Lily clutched the baby and turned her back against the figure, creating a shield._

_And it hit her, the curse tingled her every vain, and triggered black._

_She gasped for breath, but the breath never came. Lily found herself on the floor, the baby now on the ground, crying its small heart out. She knew she was dead, but her dream self was still lingering in the dream. She needed air, she needed to escape, she needed…_

Lily woke up with a start, panting and sweating from every pore. Her eyes felt damp (but she was not crying), and her chest felt like it had been run over. What was the dream she has just had? It had been her, but was this really her fate? Who was the mysterious man? Lord Voldemort maybe, Lily thought at once. But, who had been the other man? Well, she didn't care now, she was more worried that she had just witnessed her death. Well, was that her death? Or was it merely a nightmare? Still gasping for air, she moved her hands along the bedside table searching for a cup of water. She was in such a hurry she knocked the cup filled with water onto the floor.

"Damnit." She cursed and stood up straight. She flicked the light on quickly and stood up. Lily took a deep breath, and filled her lungs with cold, fresh air.

She couldn't think straight at all. Who had the child been? It couldn't have been hers, could it? Those voice though, the voice of the other man who was killed. It sounded so…so…familiar. Yet she felt she didn't know the voice at all. Why? Why was the primary question that she was asking. Why had he killed them? And it did seem like he was after the baby. What had this baby ever done? Nothing. The baby was innocent.

Lily stumbled out her door and into the dark hallway; she needed to get out of the dark. Surprised, Lily rubbed her eyes, she couldn't see anything at all. It was all shadowed and dark. Feeling her way through the darkness, she stumbled into the main hallway. The kitchen couldn't be that far away, could it? It wasn't any lighter; there were no windows at all. This was weird; you would think they would at least have a torch somewhere. She walked forward, not sure if she was going the right way, or possibly backwards. Which alley was she supposed to turn at? It was this one, right? Why…?

The thoughts circled her head, and like a drunken man she could stand it no more. She was lost in the darkness, emotionally and physically. Had she finally gone crazy? She felt crazy; she couldn't handle all these thoughts at once. It was not every day you witnessed your death so vividly, even if it wasn't the true ending of your story. It was not something she had ever wanted to see, and she didn't want to see it again.

But Lily kept walking further, but not quite sure where she was going. Her back was leaning against the door, and the doorknobs pressed into her back as she slithered by. Lily wiped the sweat that was dripping off her forehead gallons at a time. She wouldn't get anywhere in this manner, or not until daybreak at least, Lily knew. So she did the only thing she could think of, she ran. She ran as fast as she could, down the darkness, but only into more darkness. Convincing herself she would find something, she kept running. Once or twice, she could have sworn she saw some green lights shooting far away, like from her dream. Maybe it was just another one of those 2 AM illusions, things were always unpredictable at this time. The kitchen wasn't that far away though, she knew it.

Lily stopped, her heart pounding like gunshots, sweat dampening her whole body, her eyes red, and her feet hurting. No, she gave up. She was lost in the huge house in the middle of the night with an intense darkness and a nightmare in her head. Lily pushed herself against the wall and tried to regain herself, trying to catch up with her breath. Head spinning, she couldn't handle this anymore. She slowly sunk to the ground and landed with a thud, and rested her head in her arms. You can't avoid human emotions, and Lily felt like crying her heart out for the first time in seven years. It had been so long ago, it felt all so distant. The taste of salt droplets trailing down her cheek was only a vague memory.

"No!" Lily whispered to herself, "Lily Evans doesn't cry." She quickly wiped the tears away, which only caused more tears to reach her eyes. "Stop it!" She said to herself, and pressed her fingertips against her eyelids.

Emptiness was all she felt. Maybe this was just a horrible nightmare, and she would wake up soon. That's what she wished, but she knew it was real. It was not a nightmare, but it was life. This was life, but then again life sometimes acted like a shity nightmare until you woke up and turned on the light.

Her throat had a huge lump in it, and she tried to swallow it down, and she blinked back the flood of tears. However, that was like trying to block a rivers flow with a piece of paper. Tears that had been stored up behind her eyes spilled onto the floor, and she cried for the first time in seven years.

. Lily gave up on trying to fight it back, she just cried, and cried like there was no tomorrow. Tears for her mother, tears from her father, tears from her sister, tears for what she had never had, tears for what she would never have, tears for her dream, tears for her future, tears for everything that had possibly gone wrong in her life and others that she knew. Tears for Leah leaving her family, tears for Leah being tortured endlessly, tears for Remus' pain, tears for her mother's death. For some odd reason, Lily felt guilty for crying. She felt weak and powerless, and she didn't like that feeling. Slowly, she fell onto the ground and kept crying softly, just waiting for something to happen.

* * *

James shifted in his sleep, he couldn't sleep with such a smile on his face. Mary was such a wonderful person, sweet and kind and beautiful. They had spent six hours talking, yes six hours of getting to know each other. They weren't tired of it, either, but they where forced to go to bed when Remus came to the kitchen.

Maybe, just maybe, he could love this girl. Maybe they would grow together, and maybe they would spend their life with each other. He knew it was much too soon to guess, but a feeling of 'this could happen' was defiantly swimming in him. He admitted, he had never really loved anyone before, so he never knew what it really was like. But what he thought he could feel with Mary was what he had always pictured it. Perfect, just perfect, like a story. Because life, like Mary, was perfect to him. Or at least, that's what he thought. It had started out with his normal snog and dump, shag and dump routine. But after they had dragged themselves over to the kitchen, and after they talked, James couldn't stop thinking about her. He had never been in the situation of just talking to a girl…it felt nice.

_"A midnight stroll might make me calmer. I'll just go get a snack." _James thought to himself as he got up and wrapped a warm blue robe over himself. He knew Remus' house inside and out, so he knew for a fact he could never get lost. Just incase, however, he took his wand. His wand always was with him, I mean you never know when you're going to need it, right? And if he was going to be an Auror, he always had to be ready and prepared for anything at all. Mr. Potter, his father, had told him that. David Potter wad hardly ever come home when James was young, but now that Mr.Potter was getting so much older, he had cooed it down a bit. home all the time. Still, James idolized him for being so brave. And he was proud to have a father like that, and proud to have a family who fought for what was right.

_"Lumos!" _James whispered and his wand began to shine and illuminated everything in a three-foot radius of him. He dragged his feet happily down the hallway, through the alleys, and into small passageways. He was feeling wonderful, nothing could go wrong. Nothing, ever, would go w rong.

James stopped dead in his tracks. Something ahead…there was a sound. Crying? No, who would be crying this late at night…in the hallway? He strained his ears, and sure enough, he heard the crying sound again. Worried, he quickened his pace over to where the sound was coming from. There, before his eyes, was a body, curled up on the ground, crying it's heart out. James knew that hair…

"Evans?" He whispered, alarmed.

Lily heard him and gasped; she didn't know he had been there. How long HAD he been there? She regained her composure and sat up straight.

"W-what do you want Potter?" She sniffed.

"Lily, are you ok?" He asked in a concerned manner, not notcing he called her by her first name. No, they weren't friends or even acquaintances, but James remembered what Remus had asked them to do. And how cruel do you have to be to just walk by and not help at all?

"I'm fine." She lied, and she knew it was plain obvious she was a wreck.

He gave a sigh and said, "What's wrong?"

Lily snorted, "L-like I would tell you."

"Sorry…" James said defensively. "But if you want to tell me, go ahead. Do you need anything?"

"No. I'm fine, I'm not a little kid." She protested.

"Evans, something is wrong, I thought you never cried!"

Lily gave him a questioning look, "How did you know that?"

He shrugged, "I know a lot of things. So, how long exactly?"

"Seven years." She said bluntly, and became very interested on the ground that she could just hardly make out.

"Seven years? Damn, Lily-"

"Evans." She snapped

"Evans," he corrected, "why so long?"

She turned away. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me." He challenged.

"I feel so guilty though." She leaned back against the wall again, ignoring the fact she hated the person who was sincerely trying to help her.

"Guilty? You shouldn't feel guilty for crying."

"But I do. I feel selfish and greedy, there are a lot of other people who suffer a lot more, why should I be crying?"

"Sadness and anger is instinct, you can't fight that back. If you want to cry, cry. I you want to laugh, laugh."

"I guess so…" Actually, James hadn't fully convinced her, she as just to tired to put up a fight.

"But why did you come out here, anyway?" He asked curiously. Wouldn't she have talked to Leah or something?

"I, I had a nightmare. And I needed to get out, but I was so scared it got the best of me. And now I'm lost." She shook her head at her foolishness.

James had only had nightmares when he was five, but he restrained from saying that. "What was it about?"

Lily was about to open her mouth, when she remembered this was James Potter, "I can't tell you."

James shrugged it off, slightly surprised, they had been doing pretty well. "Okay."

"But it wont stop! Why cant things just leave me alone? Sleep was the only place I could escape with, and now its been taken over, too!" Lily blurted, and she'd wish she'd stop. It made her look like a fool, telling him she didn't want help then complaining to him. James sat down next to her, so she didn't feel alone.

"It will stop someday. Things will get better," James reassured her, and put a hand on her shoulder.

Lily's head shot to face him, her eyes looking straight into his, "Life will never stop, it'll stop before it gets perfect."

James looked down, not quite sure what to say, "You're right, it won't. But you can't ever change that, so you'll have to live with it."

"I guess." Lily brushed back her hair. "So," Lily changed the subject onto him, "what are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep. To much to think about, I wasn't sleepy at all."

"Mary?" Lily asked knowingly. James chuckled sheepishly and shoved Lily playfully.

Lily laughed, and decided to act like she didn't care anymore about the dream.

"I was actually on my way to the kitchen, wanna come?" He offered.

Lily shrugged and smiled, "Sure, why not?"

James got up and offered her help up, but declined and helped herself up.

"I'll race you." Lily said after a moment. She hated all eyes on her, she hated people feeling sorry for her. That's why she could jump from the saddest moment to happy and kind. Or at least, she could pretend. Even if it involved socializing with HIM, she'd do it just to feel better.

"Okay!" James smiled although he was not sure if she was saying this just to get off the topic.

"Ready, s-"

"GO!" Lily laughed and ran extremely fast down the hallway, which was not as dark as before, due to James' wand.

"Hey!" James cried, but ran to catch up with her.

Lily looked over her shoulder, and remembered James was one of the fastest runners in school. She quickened her pace as he arrived a foot behind her. But she couldn't run that fast, because her lies was weighing her down. She felt shity still and not one bit happy and bubbly like she would have liked to. James reached out and grabbed her shoulders, stopped her, and ran forward and into the kitchen.

"No fair!" Lily said as she came in, her face red from laughter.

James stuck his tongue out and opened the fridge eagerly. "There's chocolate, cookies, milk, strawberries, mangos, pizza, chicken, and Butterbeer. What do you want?" James asked. Remus better thank him…he was going out of his way to make this girl feel happy.

"Mangos and Butterbeer, please!" Lily said as she sat herself upon a wooden bench in the middle of the room. There was a bar table built into the middle of the medium sized room, and around it were stools and benches to sit on. The room was filled with cupboards and fridges, magical stoves and dishwashers.

James arrived with a plate of mangos and Butterbeer and set them on the table. "Thanks." Lily said, picking at a mango.

Well, they were doing this "friend" thing pretty well so far, and he admitted it wasn't that bad not screaming at her for a change. In fact, he liked it a lot. Stress wasn't good for him. "I guess I wanted to say sorry for earlier. I didn't know."

Lily said nothing but looked down at her Butterbeer.

"Have you gotten your owl yet?" James asked, trying to find some topic to talk about. Lily shook her head, no. "Well, I'm Headboy!" He declared proudly.

"Really? Congratulations!" Lily smiled up at him.

"I wonder who's going to get Headgirl." James said, taking a large bite out of the mango.

"Probably a Ravenclaw." Lily shrugged, and she knew James wanted Mary to be Headgirl.

"You think?" He said happily.

"Well, you never know, do you?" Lily said and took a few sips of Butterbeer.

"My dad was Headboy and my mum was Headgirl. That's how they got to know each other that way. Almost all the Headboys and girls in history have ended up together. " Lily laughed inwardly, now he REALLY wanted Mary to be Headgirl.

"I can see how, don't they share a room or something?" Lily asked.

"Yeah. That must suck after a while though." James shrugged and took a sip of his Butterbeer.

"Probably." Lily agreed. "I wouldn't like to be Headgirl." She scrunched up her nose in disgust.

"Why? Its got great perks! Plus, you wouldn't be bad at it or anything." James said, hesitating at the slight compliment. Everyone he knew would love being Headgirl or boy, it was a great honor.

Lily looked up at him. Did he just compliment me? " I don't know. I mean it would be fine if I was, but I wont be. And plus all the responsibility and junk." She stuck out her tongue.

James shrugged, "Whatever."

There was a moments silence, and they both reflected in their own thoughts. Two separate worlds and minds, racing alone.

"You know," James started unexpected, making Lily jump slightly, "you're so much more different than what you appear to be. I never knew you where like this."

Lily laughed at his foolishness, "Well, if you always listen to what people say and never find out for yourself, you wont know a lot of things."

James scrunched up his eyebrows. Maybe she was right. Maybe he was wrong. But she didn't have to know that. "Oh." That's all James said because he couldn't find anything else to say.

"Oh is right. Anyway, I owe you a thank you for finding me. You made me feel better." Lily admitted without shame as she walked up and dumped the dirty dishes into the sink, which did the washing itself. "And I'm sorry for saying you never thought about anyone else other than yourself."

James spun around to look at her, grinning an overly-large smile. Was she saying sorry? So much for being rivals and enemies. This, James thought, was impossible. It just sprung out them from around the corner.

"Are you saying you're sorry?" James blurted out, amusement in his eyes.

Lily glared at him slightly as she walked and sat back down on the bench. Resting her arms firmly on the table, she leaned forward and looked him in the eye sternly,

"Yes, I said I am sorry." Lily said clearly and slowly, as if James was a stubborn toddler (he might as well be). "But I can always take it back."

"No, I'm just surprised!" James shrugged his shoulders, he was still smiling widely.

"Why?" Lily said slowly, wondering what he meant.

"Well, you just don't appear like the kind of person that would admit they were wrong. You seem like the kind of person that would knock someone out if they disagreed with you." James shrugged again.

Lily shook her head sadly. "Some people, like you, are such idiots that they can't look past crapy and dare I say pathetic rumors SOME CERTAIN PEOPLE spread." She leaned back on the chair and put her feet up on the table.

"I resent that." James frowned, trying to look hurt, but failing horribly.

Lily couldn't help but smile slightly, "Like I said before, you're an idiot." She rolled her eyes teasingly at James.

"Yeah, well I'm a proud one." James admitted as he checked his watch. "Let's go back now, or we wont get any sleep whatsoever."

"I guess so." Lily agreed and hopped off the chair. James did the same and they both walked out of the kitchen door together and started down the hallway.

"Where's your room?" Lily asked James curiously. Hopefully he wasn't to far away from hers, she admitted she didn't want to walk alone in the dark again.

"Right down this alley, but I'll take you to yours. I know this house inside and out, I know where Remus would put your room." He declared proudly.

"Oh, ok." Lily said softly, her voice now a little weak, realizing what just went on in the kitchen. Actual, more than civil, actual friendly conversation.

"You okay Evans?" James stopped to ask her, concerned. He honestly didn't know if he could handle another break down from her.

"Potter, I'm fine!" Lily brushed it away and continued to walk, and looked around, seeing where she had been lost.

"It's sort of funny, isn't it?" James said after the silence.

"What is?" Lily asked curiously, turning to him.

"That of all people, you ran into me." James clarified.

"I guess. I mean well sort of." Lily was feeling a little un-comfortable here with James, the person who she had just really met for the first time, and all the other times they had been fighting.

"Yeah…" James trailed off un-certainly, leaving only an awkward silence.

They walked for a while saying absolutely nothing, lost in their own thoughts.

"Well, here's your room." James said.

Lily looked up and was surprised to see that they where right in front of her room door. Lily took a deep breath and faced him. "James, I mean Potter, I just wanted to say thank you, again. Thank you so much. It probably sounds like I'm over exaggerating, but I guess what I mean is-"

"You're welcome." James cut her off, smiling at her un-comfortableness.

Lily smiled weakly and went into her room, closing the door behind her. Inside, she took a deep breath. What was that? That last part, she had felt nervous. She shook it off, though, telling herself it was just her being so incredibly tired.

However, after thirty minutes, Lily realized she was wide-awake. Sighing in defeat, she got out of bed and stormed into Leah's room.

* * *

Gah. I'm very nervous about this chapter. Did you guys like it? If you didn't review tell me why and I might just edit it. And this chapter was full of dead give-away hints. Its snowing! Whoo! REVIEW PLEASE!  
  
And thanks to everyone who reviewed ;)  
  
Kryptic Insanity- thanks! Do you think I should put more stuff about Leah? You know, what Leah is doing and thinking sometimes more often? Or should I keep it almost all about Lily and James because those are the main characters? Hmm...  
  
J.E.A.R.K.Potter- ha. Yes. Im sure Lily will too, eventually. Well, let me tell you James is going to have some serious girlfriends before he gets to Lily ;)  
  
And all my other loverly reviewers!! 


	5. School Again

**Emerald Eyes**

Disclaimer: Do they seriously sue for not having a discliamer? Never seen it done! But none the less, i must pay my respect towards JK Rowling, the wonderful creator of everything thats familiar to you

* * *

_Previously_

_"You're welcome." James cut her off, smiling at her un-comfortableness._

_Lily smiled weakly and went into her room, closing the door behind her. Inside, she took a deep breath. What was that? That last part, she had felt nervous. She shook it off, though, telling herself it was just her being so incredibly tired._

_However, after thirty minutes, Lily realized she was wide-awake. Sighing in defeat, she got out of bed and stormed into Leah's room._

* * *

**Chapter Five: School Again**

Leah was deep asleep, lost in her own little world. Lily could hear her breathing steadily. She silently turned the dimmer up slightly, so the room was just barley lit up. Carefully, she tiptoed over to the side of her bed and loomed above Leah's body.

"Leah, wake up!" Lily whispered and shook her friends body. Leah groaned and rolled over.

"Leah!" Lily said a little louder, and this time Leah turned to look up at her.

"What?" Leah groaned and yawned, pushing herself upwards and leaning on her hands.

"I need to tell you something." Lily whispered franticly.

"Ok, hold on let me wake up completely." Leah hopped out of the side of the bed and dragged herself on the warm carpet over towards the bathroom, where she splashed her face with cold water.

"There we go. Now, what were you saying?" Leah asked as she sat down on the bed again.

"Well, it started with a dream. Leah, it was freaky. More specifically, I saw me die. There was this baby and this man, and there was me. I was watching it from my point of view, but I couldn't actually control what I was seeing or take part in any of it willingly. Do you know what I mean? I was watching from the sidelines but in my body." Lily stopped for a moment to make sure Leah understood, which she did.

"And this… thing ...I think it was Lord Voldemort, killed us all. I have no clue why these other people where important to me, but I could tell they where. Leah, I saw my death. It was so real…I couldn't breath! I could have sworn I was there. And the baby, it was innocent, it hadn't done anything wrong! I don't know if they killed the baby or not though, I woke up to soon." Lily stopped and took another deep breath before continuing. "After I woke up I decided I needed some fresh air, so I went out into the hallway. It was so dark there, and I thought maybe I could find some light so I could just sit down or something. But it was even darker, and I kept running and running and I eventually got lost. It was just one tiny droplet, but it drove me over the top. I was lost in the dark, and for some reason I felt that way too, even though everything before the dream was going perfectly fine! And Leah, I cried! You know I never cry!" Lily was speaking so fast, she was out of breath. Her voice was sad and confused.

"Shhh," Leah hushed as she wrapped Lily in a hug. "It's all over now. And you're not bad for crying. You can't fight back human instinct, Lily." Leah let go of Lily and started at her face.

"That's what James said." Lily admitted

"JAMES? Wait, you skipped the part where he came into the picture." Leah's eyes widened and her mouth dropped.

Lily laughed at her expression, "He found me crying. And he took me to the kitchens to get something to eat or drink. He was actually nice to me. Leah! He helped me, it was so God damn weird. And we talked civilly, he was nice!" Lily let it out, confused at how James could be that way.

"Well, this is the side of James we've never seen I guess." Leah admitted. "I'm only taking your word because I know you'd never lie to me."

Lily chuckled, but then quickly stopped, "But what scares me more, is that we could actually be friends! It's easy to talk to him. But not as easily as you of course, you're my best friend." Lily added, seeing the quizzical look on her face.

"Then I say go for it, if he's nice, then be friends with him. And just to make sure he wasn't drunk or anything, I'll try and be nice to him, to see if he's nice to me." Leah encouraged.

"Thanks Leah. You're the best." Lily sighed and gave her another hug, "What would I ever do without you?"

"What would you do without me? More like what would I do without you? I can't walk alone, you know that."

Lily smiled, "We would both die without each other. And if you don't mind, I'm as tiered as hell, so I'm gonna go back to sleep."

"Same here. G'night!" Leah said as she threw the covers over her head.

"Good night!" Lily replied as she flicked off the lights and tiptoed softly to her room, where she fell asleep instantly into a dreamless sleep.

Lily's eyes flickered open, her sleep interrupted by the break of day.

She groaned, five more minutes of serenity, please! But a knocking on the door pounded that loving dream down.

"LILS! ARE YOU IN THERE?" Remus shouted from outside.

"Coming!" Lily called and rolled off the bed and onto the floor, landing with a thud on her back. Quickly, she regained her composure and opened the door.

"Hi." She said drowsily.

"Hey there Lils. Everyone is up already, and we're having breakfast now. I thought you might want to eat." He said.

Remus was in his boxers, but Lily didn't care. Remus was like a brother to her, and no she would never dream of having special feelings for her brother. Lily swung her arm over his shoulder.

"That was so incredibly considerate of you! So, how's life been?" Lily asked breezily.

"Just great, mate." Remus put his arm around her shoulder, too.

"Just so you know, last night I dreamed about my death. Then I got lost in this hell of a house of yours. But it all worked out fine, because James found me. Ironic, isn't it?" Lily said casually, as if she was talking about the weather.

Remus stopped abruptly, his eyes wide with shock over the simple sentences that had just come out from Lily's mouth. "What? God, are you ok?"

Lily let out a sigh of defeat and turned to look at him, "No, I wasn't. I was murdered by some dude in a black hoodie." Lily smiled and laughed at her own joke. Seeing Remus' scolding look, she said seriously, "I was murdered by Lord Voldemort. Uh, I think, I'm not sure. And it felt- so real. And then you're Marauder friend came along. He's actually pretty nice, I think I see what you mean." Lily admitted.

"God, that must have been tough." Remus said sadly, and gave her a quick hug. "I hope you feel better. That is a little odd though. Out of everyone in this whole entire house, it has to be the person you despise the most."

They continued to trot along towards the kitchen.

"Second person I despised the most. If you don't mind me saying, Mary gets me all-" Lily shook her arms in the air wildly from the lack of words.

"I know what you mean. She can be a stuck up snob sometimes. But I think she has good intentions." Remus shrugged.

Lily burst out laughing, "Yeah, good intentions, right."

Remus bit his lip, but ended up laughing right along with her. "You're right, what the fuck was I thinking?"

Then suddenly, "LILLLYYYYY FLOOOOWWWWEEERRRRR!" Lily practically fell over as Sirius charged at her and bombarded her with a huge, suffocating hug. "I WAS SO WORRIED THAT YOU HAD ANOTHER NIGHTMARE!" He began to rock her back and forth, while she was standing straight like a mummy, with a frightened look upon her face.

"Sirius, please, stop it-" Lily said through gritted teeth.

"I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Sirius, stop it now-"

"I hope Voldiepoo didn't scare you too much!"

"Sirius, Sirius!"

"Don't you ever get lost like that again-"

"SIRIUS!" Lily screamed at the top of her lungs, causing Sirius to jump back and drop her.

"Well GEES! Sorry for caring!" Sirius touched his heart, pretending it was just stabbed.

Lily rolled her eyes at him. "So, if anybody here doesn't know about this dream of mine, please raise your hand."

Lily scanned the room. To her dismay, she found that Mary knew, too. She frowned and cocked her head to the side, "Fine. Now, what's for breakfast?"

Trying to change the subject, she rushed to sit on a bench in-between Leah and Remus. She hastily served herself a stack of eggs and grabbed a handful of pancakes. She overloaded them with syrup and butter, and then greedily stirred it around. Then, she noticed the five pairs of eyes staring at her, as if she was some rare species on display at the zoo.

"WHAT?" She demanded angrily, looking up at them.

"Nothing." They all said quickly and hastily returned to their breakfast, all except for Leah.

"Mary knows, so you can count everyone else at school will know." Leah whispered.

Lily groaned and stabbed one of her eggs. "I know. That bitch…"

"Yeah, well I was thinking maybe we should go back to my house after we finish breakfast." Leah suggested suddenly. She knew her best friend was in a bitchy, angry mood, and the only person who could handle it was Leah.

"Sure, whatever." Lily mumbled as she stuffed another bunch of eggs into her mouth.

James couldn't help but stare at Lily. Last night Lily had been weak, tired and helpless. But now? She was much different, and James frowned slightly knowing she covered herself in a shell. He didn't know why he cared, but he did. Maybe he had just caught her in the moment, but it seemed to him that she had way to many personalities.

They all ate their breakfast silently due to all the tension in the room. Lily was in her mood and everyone was just trying to steer clear of it. Except for Leah, who was trying to calm her down.

"Oh look! Lily's done! I'm done!" Leah exclaimed, pretending to be surprised and chuckling nervously, "Well then time to go!" She stood up and pushed the chair in the table.

Lily, too, got up, but she slammed the chair violently into the table and crossed her arms.

"See you all later," Leah said quickly, and then grabbed Lily by the shoulders and dragged her over to the fireplace.

"You go first," Lily waved her hand absently.

"Sure." Leah hopped into the fire. "Leah's Awesomely Awesome House!" Leah called, and with a few green flames, she was off.

Lily followed of suit, and soon she was in the all-to familiar stone passageway. Spinning, spinning, waiting. BOOM! She landed on her butt on the hard ground. Lily groaned and marched out of the fire reluctantly into Leah's Living room. Leah was brushing off the ashes that had gathered on her clothes.

Lily leaned drowsily against the wall, dropping her head backwards towards the ceiling and closing her eyes.

"What can I do to make you feel better?" Leah asked, strutting over towards her.

"You can let me sleep." Lily yawned. "I'm tired and grumpy and tired." Lily groaned, marching up on the stairs, Leah following close behind.

"I know, I know." Leah rushed the grumpy Lily up the stairs, the sooner she fell asleep the sooner she'd feel better.

Lily ran into the bedroom and jumped into the bed, pulling the covers high above her cheeks. "Good night." Lily stated as Leah flicked off the lights and closed the door.

Three hours later, Lily's eyes fluttered open willingly. She sat there, looking outside into the noon sun. In the distance she could see a few houses and hills, and she smiled joyously. After Hogwarts, this was her favorite place in the whole wide world. Another shadow, the one of a bird, quickly came into view, and suddenly it was tapping on Lily's window. Lily jumped quickly out of bed and rushed to the window. Yanking the window open, she took Navy in her hands and let her inside. Navy squawked an approval and affectionately nipped Lily's fingers.

Lily smiled, she had missed her Navy making all that racket during the night. "How was your trip? Did you have fun without me?" She cooed.

She always talked to Navy, Lily knew it sounded and looked cheesy, but it was fun. Lily walked over to her bed and sat cross-legged on it, as she petted Navy's head. Right then, she noticed the letter attached to the hawks leg.

"Finally!" Lily muttered, as she eagerly untied the Hogwarts Letter from her hawk's leg. She ripped apart the envelope and took out the parchment from inside, and quickly read the letter.

_Dear Miss Lily Evans,_

_ Please note that the school year begins September the first. The Hogwarts Express leaves the station of Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at approximately eleven o'clock. There shall be no other public transfer available after that._

_ I am also pleased to inform you that you have been selected as Head Girl by Professor Dumbledore and I. Please report to the Prefects cart one hour after we leave King's Cross. There you will explain the roles of the Prefects and their duties. However, I understand that you where not chosen to be a Prefect, there fore please consult another Prefect in your year about the jobs and responsibilities. Then, after the feast, please report the Headmasters office, and he shall explain to you and the Headboy the duties and responsibilities that are part of being Heads. _

_Also, your Headgirl badge is enclosed in this letter along with the list of supplies you will need for the new year._

_ Yours Sincerely,_

_ Professor M. McGonagall_

_ Deputy Headmistress_

Lily read the letter in complete silence, and subconsciously let her mouth drop wide open. She- Lily Marie Evans- was going to be Headgirl? What the hell was Dumbledore on? Now, she knew for a fact that old man was a total nut, but this was the last thing she had ever expected.

The glinting silver badge slipped out of the stack of papers she was holding, and fell onto the floor. Lily looked down, and still without saying anything, she bent down to pick it up. She held up close to her face, and studied it carefully. In the background there was the Gryffindor crest, and the two big letters 'HG' stuck out in front of it.

Was this a forgery? Maybe some huge mistake? Lily hadn't even been a Prefect! Sure, she was at the top of almost every single class, but its not like she was respected by anyone except her friends!

"LEAH!" Lily screamed at the top of her lungs, exasperated. "LEAH, GET YOUR ARSE OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Meanwhile, Lily began to pace back and forth along her room, twiddling the badge in her hands; occasionally looking down to glance at it.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Leah was drinking a glass of cold water. Suddenly, she heard her friends ear-piercing call. Taken by surprise, she dropped her glass which shattered onto the floor into millions of pieces. Leah stomped and cursed her luck and reluctantly decided she would clean it up after she went to see whatever the hell Lily had been so frantic about.

She marched up the stairs and opened the door to find her friend pacing back and forth, practically hyperventilating.

"Lily…" Leah said slowly, "What's wrong?"

Lily stopped abruptly and turned to look at Leah. She tossed the badge carelessly into Leah's hands, who's eyes turned extremely wide.

"I know, isn't it horrible?" Lily complained, wiping sweat off her forehead.

"Horrible?" Leah's grin widened, "How's that horrible? I should be congratulation you! Congratulations Lily!"

Leah gave Lily a big, unexpected hug. Now wait a second, Lily was confused. How could this be GOOD? I mean all she had was more responsibilities and junk like that.

"What'd you mean? This is horrible!" Lily cried out. Leah laughed at Lily's face, completely clueless and confused.

"It's not horrible! You should be honored, in fact!" Leah consulted as Lily put an arm around her friend.

"Ya think?"

"Of coarse!" Leah cried out happily. "I mean come on you get all these special stuff! A new room, a new bathroom, the power to do anything you wish, and basically you have the whole school under your control!"

Lily began to smile as she said, "You're right, I should be honored!"

"I got my letter, too." Leah said as she retrieved a wrinkled letter from her back pocket. "So, as soon as you're ready, we can go get our supplies."

"Sounds great!" Lily chirped. "Wait a second!" Lily called out, suddenly remembering something. "You'll never guess who Headboy is. Potter. James Potter is Headboy!"

"I thought you said he was nice!" Leah reminded her.

"Oh, I don't have a problem with it, but he probably does. You see he was hoping Mary would be Headgirl, and I sort of encouraged that thought. And then he added that almost all the Headboys and girls in history have someway gotten together, so he's probably going to be un-comfortable with that."

"But, you can be just friends right?"

"Oh I know, I just feel bad letting his hopes down like that. Anyway, I'm going to tell Remus! He was a Prefect, wasn't he?" Lily said happily as she headed over towards the stairs.

"Yup, he was!" Leah nodded and hopped down the stairs.

Hardly anybody knew this except the people who knew Leah and Remus, but they had actually gone out since fifth to sixth year. Of course, it had been a very well-kept secret, and even now nobody would guess that they had once been more than just friends. It was sort of an on and off thing, over and over again. Lily admitted that she thought they would get married someday, but luckily Leah never asked her a question like that. No, Lily or Leah weren't boy-crazy girly girls, but it wasn't like they never thought about boys. I mean, it's extremely hard to find a girl or boy who doesn't think about the opposite sex occasionally.

An hour later, Lily and Leah where walking down the magical streets of Diagon Alley. Lily loved shopping for school supplies for some un-known reason.

Leah and Lily where heading over towards the book shop, heavy bags dangling from their hands.

"Isn't it horrible," Lily started, "that this year is going to be our last at Hogwarts…forever?"

Leah frowned sadly, "I know. It's depressing, but I'm sure Dumbledore would let us visit. I think he's had a few students do that before."

"Yeah, but it wont ever be the same." Lil sighed lustfully, "Waking up early in the morning and heading down to eat our breakfast, which smells delicious every time. Getting yelled at by the professors for arriving late to class. Secret passage-ways to anywhere in the school. The fresh grounds of the Quiditch field, I love that. The beautiful lake, and the giant squid."

"Yeah.." Leah sighed sadly. "That's why this year is going to be the absolute best! Then again, if I died today, I think I would be satisfied. Last year might have been one of the best." Leah admitted.

"I guess. Anyway, here we are." Lily pushed the swing door open and held it open for Leah. They strutted over towards the 'Hogwarts' section, where they found all their schoolbooks. As seventh years, they where required to get many more books than they needed in their first year. They headed over towards the line to pay, not bothering to get their money out yet as there where lots of people in front of them.

Then, Lily felt a small finger tapping on her back, as if trying to get her attention. She spun around, trying to find out what had tapped her.

"Excuse me, miss?" A small voice said.

Lily's head dropped downwards towards the ground, where she spotted a little girl, around five, looking up at her.

"Hi there!" Lily grinned, she had always loved little kids.

"Are you going to Hogwart?" She asked hopefully, her body swaying with excitement.

Leah laughed and they both bent forward so that they would be around the same height as the little girl.

"Yup, we're going to Hogwarts!" Leah nodded.

"Wow!" The little girl's eyes where twinkling with amazement, and her mouth wide. "Mommy says when I'm big I can go to Hogwart, too." She declared proudly.

"Yeah, you'll love it there." Lily nodded.

"And… and mommy says there's a woof that's really tall!" The little girl extended her arms as to show 'tall'.

"Yeah, there is!" Lily laughed, "And it looks like the sky!" Lily added.

"Weally?" The little girl squeaked happily.

"Really." Leah repeated, smiling at the little girl.

"What's your name?" Lily asked kindly.

"My name is-"

"Melissa! Come over here right now!" The voice of an angry mother called, and the little girl turned around, her brown curls flying in the air.

"Coming Mommy!" The girl called, and then turned back to Lily and Leah.

"I haf to go now, but I'll see you later." Melissa, the little girl, stated. She waved politely and then turned around and trotted towards her mom.

"Bye!" Leah and Lily called out in unison.

"She's so cute!" Lily smiled joyfully.

"I know, that was so adorable! I wish I could see her get on that stool at Hogwarts and watch her get sorted into Gryffindor." Leah said dreamily.

"If I have a daughter, I want her to be just like that. Innocent and happy all the time." Lily stated happily.

"I think all five year olds are like that."

"Except for me, I was special." Lily winked and Leah nodded.

Un-expectantly, they found themselves in front of the cash register.

"That would be three galleons each." The cashier said absently, chewing on a wad of bubble gum.

Lily hit the 10 Galleons against the counter, and then took the rest of her bags in her hand and headed out along with Leah.

"I think we're done school shopping. We have everything, don't we?" Leah asked, consulting their list of school supplies.

"Yeah, I think so. Now, lets go get some stuff that we don't need!" Lily cried triumphantly.

Leah laughed and agreed, "Exactly, you deserve something for making Headgirl. It's on me." Leah said, extending her hand to show 10 galleons.

"No," Lily closed Leah's hand up, "I'll buy for myself, you don't need to be nice."

"Really, I'll buy you something worth 10 galleons." Leah repeated.

Lily goggled at her. "Are you serious?"

Leah nodded, "Dead serious!"

"Well, you know the only way I'll be happy is if you get something, too." Lily took out ten galleons from her pocket, too. "We'll buy each other presents!" Lily suggested.

Leah shrugged happily, "Ok, that works!"

"We'll meet back here in." Lily checked her watch, "thirty minutes."

"Great!"

* * *

Alright everyone, I'm so so so so so sorry I didn't update sooner. I was hesitant of this chapter because it was boring and honestly nothing happened. But it's important because things will build off of this.  
  
I NEED MORE REVIEWS OR I WONT UPDATE!!  
  
Plllleeeeeaaassse! Just review saying "I liked it! I thought this part was good! Yackedyyack. Update soon!" or "I didn't like this chapter as much, this part was bad. Update soon and fix it!"  
  
Thanks 


	6. Gifts and Movies

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: ALL THESE CHARECTERS ARE MINE, ALL MINE! I CAME UP WITH IT ALL! JK ROWLING HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS STORY! SUE ME! Hehehehe...Actually, don't. Ok so maybe JK Rowling came up with everything familiar...but some characters are mine. Ok umm ill shut up now._

* * *

_Previously_

_Leah nodded, "Dead serious!"_

_"Well, you know the only way I'll be happy is if you get something, too." Lily took out ten galleons from her pocket. "We'll buy each other presents!" Lily suggested._

_Leah shrugged happily, "Ok, that works!"_

_"We'll meet back here in." Lily checked her watch, "thirty minutes." _

_"Great!"_

__

* * *

**Chapter Six: Gifts and Movies**  
  
"Alright then, see ya!" Lily waved goodbye and quickly began to march down the isles of Diagon Alley, looking into every window trying to find something Leah would like. Leah loved researching dark magic, but she never used it. No, she would never even think about using dark magic. Leah claimed it was interesting to learn about. She and Lily where also writing nuts. They loved all sorts of poems and stories, and Leah had a small library full of books at her house. Sometimes, Leah or Lily would write random poems or stories, but they would end up either in the hands of the wrong person (as they had learned in fourth year) or they would get lost.  
  
Then, it hit Lily. She knew the absolutely perfect gift for Leah! Now, this might sound stupid of cheesy for other people, but Lily knew that Leah would love it. Lily consulted the small map she had of Diagon Alley and headed down towards a shop called 'Full Moon'. Lily cringed at the name of the store, but she knew for a fact that everything inside the shop was incredible and wonderful.  
  
The doorbell above the door rang as Lily stepped into the semi-large room. She took a look around at the dust and humid shelves stacked with books and mystical things. It scared you because it was so amazing, and Lily knew at once that whatever Leah got from this shop, she would love.  
  
Lily walked down the isles of a section called 'Magical Writing' and let her finger trail over the leather covers of the books. There was a large variety of height, width, color, and even smell. She, too, read the little labels along the shelve reading what each book was used for. There were some that cast curses upon whoever used it, others that followed you wherever you went. Others that wrote down your thoughts exactly, sort of like a diary you didn't need to write. Others were safes for treasures to stack inside so no one could find them.  
  
Then, one book caught Lily's attention. It was red and quite thick, and its pages where yellowing in time. Pulling it out of the shelf, Lily quickly looked over it. It was a notebook in which you could write and read whatever you wanted. So, if you wanted to write a story, you would write it there. Then, when you closed the book everything was saved, but when you opened it everything was blank. To read what you had written, you would have to enter your full name, and depending on who the owner of the book wanted to see it, it would open to you. Not only that, but if you wrote the name of a book or poem, ink would seep into the pages and you could read it right out of there. Lily found this extremely cool, and immediately bought it for seven galleons.  
  
Leah trotted down the streets, looking eagerly for something that would catch her attention for what to get Lily. True, right now it seemed that Lily was weak and Leah was always the protector or the comforter, but it was very, very far from that. Lily had helped Leah with everything. In fact, if Lily hadn't helped her, she might not be here today. Lily was the best friend anybody could ever ask for, and she deserved so much more than she got.  
  
First, Leah decided to check out the 'Muggle or Wizard?' shop, in which muggle appliances where turned magical. Leah browsed what they had, finding it very interesting, as she was a half-blood herself. Leah sighed, this was too easy. She would buy Lily a magical Walkman to use at Hogwarts. Since it was a muggle contraption, it didn't work inside the school. Leah grinned and ran the silver round looking thing over the cash register, where she paid three galleons. Still, Leah felt as if she needed to get Lily one more thing. It wouldn't hurt! So, she continued onward hunting.  
  
'Loco Lomotis' was a very neat shop, and one of the few newer shops (even if it was 1,464 years old). It held some of the most curious and amazing things you could possibly think of, and displayed the work of the geniuses who lived in this world.  
  
There were lots of people inside, poking around here and there. Obviously, she wasn't the only one buying presents. Leah browsed around and found things like a fountain which would mold into whatever form you preferred, a candle that turned on whenever someone entered the room, and let out the smell they loved the most. A painting that changed to the persons likings whenever they looked at it. A clock that told you where people where (this would come in handy if they were married with a bunch of kids). There where double-way mirrors and invisible socks, so many things to look at.  
  
Strolling down a more quiet and old isle, Leah looked around hopefully, stopping to check out anything shiny or of the sort. Then, Leah finally found something worth getting for Lils. There were two matching identical pens, one with a green feather and the other one was a red feather. Also, the ink was that color as well. They looked more old-fashioned than most quills, and Leah knew Lily would love that. There were two pieces of paper that you could test the quills out on, and there were instructions on each.  
  
"This is a Double Ink pen," it read, "one of the older things we have created. You keep one pen, and you give the other pen to someone else. Whatever you write with that quill, will appear on your friend's paper, wherever they might be! Easy communication and hassle-free! To erase the note after you're done, just tap it twice with the feather part of the quill. Try it out and see!"  
  
That sounded interesting! Leah quickly took one of the pens and wrote on one of the papers "Hi there" in red ink. Suddenly, the ink moved towards the center and formed an ink blob, fading into the paper slightly. Suddenly, the ink re-arranged itself back to the words Leah had written. She looked at the other paper and found that in the center of it the words "Hi There" were written as well.  
  
Leah finished reading, "To create a window, just draw a square with an X on the inside. It will appear on your friend's paper, and will turn into a window so you can see each other! Like that? Check out our newer invention, the double way mirrors!"  
  
"Cool!" Leah exclaimed, and took a package of the two pens and some instructions and quickly paid for it. Oh, she knew Lily would enjoy this! To bad these weren't aloud on test days...  
  
At just about the same time, the two girls arrived with their gift for each other.  
  
"This is one of those random and spontaneous things." Lily laughed as she pulled out Leah's present.  
  
Leah did the same, and Lily sighed, "Two presents? God I feel so crappy!"  
  
Leah quickly said, "No, they're both sort of small. Don't worry about it!"  
  
"Alright, do you want me to open your gift first or what?" Lily asked happily.  
  
"Here, you open mine first." They sat down on a wooden bench, with their purchases all around them. (And trust me there were a LOT)  
  
"Ok!" Lily took the presents eagerly and tore them open. First, she saw the CD player, and her smile was jumped up several hundred voltages.  
  
"Oh God Leah! Thank you so, so much! Do you know how long I've been wanting this?" Lily quickly squeezed her laughing best friend.  
  
"You're welcome, now open up the second one." Leah smiled.  
  
"Alright then...it's...a...quill?" Lily laughed. She turned the box around in circles trying to find out what was so special about it.  
  
"Nope, it's a Double Ink Quill. Whoever has the other quill can see what you're writing and can write back whenever and wherever as long as you're both with the quill and with a paper in front of you. Also, I didn't get to try this, but if you draw a square and draw an X underneath it with the quill, you get to see what that person is doing. It's like a little portal thingy. It's really awesome!" Leah explained, reading off the back of the box for the further detail.  
  
Lily gapped at her, "Wow! This is SO cool! Thank you so much! That was very thoughtful of you!" Lily laughed as she eagerly tore the box open. She took out the red quill and handed it to Leah.  
  
"There you go!" Lily said. "Don't lose it or I'll kill you!"  
  
"Thanks Lils!" Leah said, putting the quill in with the rest of her school supplies.  
  
"What? Thank YOU for the gifts!" Lily said politely and gave Leah another hug. "Now, open my presents!" Lily clapped her hands together.  
  
"Oh...I wonder what it is!" Leah said curiously as she tore apart the wrapping paper.  
  
With wide, impressed, and amused eyes, Leah took out the book. "Wow..." Leah said quietly as she flipped through the empty pages. "This is one of those booky things!"  
  
Lily laughed and corrected her, "Whatever you write in there will be saved forever, but no one except you can see it, or anyone else that you want to see it. See, when you close it all goes blank. You just write your full name on the cover, and if it's your name and your handwriting and all that junk, it lets you in. Not only that but you can read poems and stories that people have made. You just write the name of the book on the front. I thought you would like it!" Lily said proudly, watching Leah's face illuminated in happiness.  
  
"Lils you're the best!!" Leah hugged Lily really hard, leaving her practically suffocating.  
  
"You're welcome!" Lily said happily as soon as she was let go. Well, Lily was obviously in a much better mood than this morning!  
  
"Today," Lily said as she stood up and picked up all her bags, "has been completely random."  
  
"I agree." And with that, they made their way home happily, with their arms filled with school junk.  
  
"Hey Lils, Remus and his buds want to come over!" Leah called from the kitchen to Lily, who was watching TV.  
  
"Okay!" Lily called back, half absently, staring at the giant screen as Jerry the mouse zoomed through the scene.  
  
"Alright then Remus," Leah said into the phone, "see you soon!" With that, she clicked the phone off and set it on the counter.  
  
Leah walked through the hallway and into the living room, where she plopped herself next to Lily.  
  
"He wants to go out with me again." Leah groaned and rested her head onto Lily's shoulder.  
  
Lily clicked off the TV and turned to Leah, "Again?" Actually, she wasn't as surprised as she sounded. Lily was actually expecting something like this to happen during her stay. It was always on and off again, on and off. There excuses for breaking up where ridiculous in Lily's point of view, but she had no power over Remus' atrocious lying skills.  
  
"Yeah, again!" Leah drawled.  
  
"Well, I know you want to go out with him. But this time, you guys better stay together or I swear I will kill you both." Lily threatened playfully.  
  
"Nah, I bet you he's serious this time." Leah said, re-assured.  
  
"Leah, you're serious every single time, but you always break up then get back together!" Lily reminded her idiotic friend.  
  
"Oh, right." Leah blinked.  
  
"Yeah, but anyhow, you guys should go. There's a fair in-town, you guys should go there!" Lily recommended.  
  
Leah looked at Lily, "Are you sure? I don't want you to feel left out." She frowned, and didn't want Lily to feel awkward that her two best friends where going somewhere without her.  
  
Lily pushed her further, "I'm fine, Lee-Lee. Really!" She repeated when she saw Leah's still un-sure glance.  
  
"Okay, thanks." Leah smiled and stood up. "I should go get ready. Anyway, tell Remus when he comes that we're going to the fair, okay?"  
  
"Sure!" Lily called to Leah's retreating back as she climbed up the carpeted stairs.  
  
Right on cue (which seemed to happen a lot), Remus burst into the living room from the fire, and then calmly walked out. He was too good at it (which frustrated Lily to no end). God, he did this too often.  
  
"Hey Remi! I hear you're going on a date tonight!" Lily wiggled her eyebrows, and to her delight made her friend blush.  
  
"Yup!" Remus said proudly after recovering as he sat down on the couch next to Lily. "You don't feel left out, right?" Remus hesitated.  
  
"No way! It's fine with me, really! You guys don't need to worry so much." Lily convinced him.  
  
Lily was still in her pajamas, which was something she did when she as in vacation. Ever since Diagon Alley, she had gone nowhere for two days.  
  
"Alright." Remus smiled happily and leaned back on the sofa. "Do you have a clue where we're going?" Remus turned to her.  
  
"Oh right!" Lily remembered, "Leah told me to tell you that you guys are going to the fair. She's getting ready, so she should be down here soon."  
  
"Oh, is it that muggle fair? I love muggle fairs! Remember the last time we all went to one of those?" Remus said, beginning to laugh at the memory.  
  
"Oh yeah! I remember that!" Lily pointed out and turned to Remus, "I bet you they'll still recognize you! That was so funny though!" Lily laughed, "I can't believe you went swimming in that pond! You were such an idiot!"  
  
"I feel hurt!" Remus tried to say seriously, but ended up laughing along with Lily.  
  
"Yup, good times, good times!" Lily said dreamily as their laughter died down.  
  
"Oh, by the way, James and Sirius might come over here and-"he was cut off from a voice behind them.  
  
"Hey Remus!" Leah called out from behind, and he quickly stood up nervously, combing his hair down.  
  
Lily loved watching how God damn nervous he was, and had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. He had his hands in his pocket and Lily could tell his knees where a little wobbly. But Leah, nah, Leah was being Leah. Absolutely cool about anything and everything that came her way.  
  
"Hey Leah!" He managed to say.  
  
Leah smiled warmly and walked over to him and grabbed his hand. "Let's go before it gets to crowded!" She dragged him down the hallway and towards the door.  
  
"Bye Lils!" They both said in unison (making them blush).  
  
"Bye Lee and Rei!" Lily called loudly and waved goodbye lazily.  
  
She watched them stroll out the door hand in hand. "Finally!" Lily whispered to herself as soon as they shut the door, laying down on the couch, "I can get the sleep I deserve." As soon as she was about to close her eyes, a loud BOOM echoed from the fireplace, and out rolled none other than James Potter.  
  
"What the hell?" Lily asked loudly as she quickly stood up straight.  
  
"Nice to see you, too!" James said sarcastically as he regained his balance, and brushed his soot off himself.  
  
"Sorry," she apologized but eyed him wearily, "but why are you here?"  
  
James sat on the couch, and poked at it, "Didn't Moony tell you we where coming?"  
  
Then a light bulb flashed up in Lily's head, "Right, I remember now! Wasn't Sirius supposed to come?" Lily cocked her head to the side curiously.  
  
James chuckled nervously, "He had a last minute...date with one of the maids?" He whispered, although there as no one else in the house.  
  
Lily quickly nodded, getting the point, and laid back down on the couch.  
  
"I have to go soon, anyway. Mary wanted to go see a movie at a muggle theatre, so I'm going in," James checked his silver watch, "ten minutes."  
  
"Aww, and you came all the way over here! You must really love me!" Lily teased and extended her arms as if she was about to embrace him. But of coarse, he didn't.  
  
James laughed, "Speak for yourself. Anyway, we're going to see...what was it? Titanic!"  
  
Lily groaned, "You've got it in for yourself. Let's just say its dead boring. Dramatic and romantic, yes, but no REAL action." She stuck her tongue out.  
  
James frowned slightly, "Oh. I'd rather go see... The Massacre. Have you heard of it?" James asked excitedly.  
  
Lily sat up straight, her mouth wide and her eyes beaming, "Do you know how long I've wanted to see that movie? We should go today! After your date, of coarse." Lily added.  
  
"We should! The movie ends at 2:30, get there five minutes before then. I'll meet you there in the lobby." James instructed.  
  
"I'll bring Leah and Remus and maybe Sirius if they get back from their 'business' soon enough." Lily winked playfully.  
  
James chuckled, "Sure. But I don't think Sirius will be done to soon."  
  
Lily raised her eyebrows and laughed, "How many maids is he visiting today?"  
  
James shuddered, "I don't want to know. "He checked his watch, again. "I should go now, to be early." He said as he waved goodbye. Lily waved back as he popped into the fireplace and appeared God knows where.  
  
She plopped back onto the couch, and wondered what odd things might happen today.  
  
Three hours later Lily was standing at the lobby waiting impatiently for James to get out of his movie. She had called up Leah and asked if she and Remus would like to come to a movie with them, but she said she wouldn't be home in time. Sirius hadn't finished banging the maids yet, so he couldn't come... Honestly, Lily felt a little un-comfortable being alone with James for some reason. They both knew it wasn't a date, but that little nervous feeling wouldn't leave either of them.  
  
James stepped out of the movie theatre with Mary in his hand, which had insisted on being extremely close to him throughout the whole movie. Not that he minded it, no, not at all! She was smiling broadly, extremely happy that this date had gone absolutely perfect! James was so amazing; they had become so close so soon.  
  
"Thank you so much Jamsie for taking me to the movies today!" Mary gushed and pushed herself even closer to him.  
  
James grinned down at her, "I had a good time! We should go out some other time, is tomorrow okay with you?"  
  
Mary's heart gave a huge leap, "Of coarse! You can-"  
  
Mary' sentence was muffled by a quick kiss on the lips from James, "Uh, I have to go now. I promised I'd meet some friends here after I was done with the movie. I called up Don, my driver, and he'll pick you up. Well, I'll see you later though. Bye!" He gave Mary a handsome wink and quickly ran out into the lobby.  
  
Marry gave a small, but disappointed wave and stayed where she was. Her eyes never left James, even after (to her disappointment) he, laughing, stormed into one of the theatres with Lily at his heels. Her permanent smile flickered for the first time, but she shook it off. Turning her back, she walked swiftly away into the parking lot, as if nothing had happened. Mary, if only she would have realized then: James was just a waste of her time.

* * *

THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE FOR THE REVIEWS! Wow. You all really really made my day!  
  
Ally- You crazy girl! Thanks for reading it. Glad ya like it! (Two hour delay today!)  
  
RainbowBrite- Thank you for your suggestion, and I think you're right. I will have a little Leah but only when I have to (like this chapter when she was getting the present). Thanks for reviewing  
  
Erin- I suck at grammar and spelling, too, but thanks to my handy-dandy spell-check I can be all corrected and stuff. Oh God, I spelled Grammar wrong...  
  
Lilypotterfan- oh, damn! I forgot to mention Peter! I'll do it in this chapter. Thanks for reminding me! I'm really glad you like my fic. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Armadrieclya- Oh wow, your favorites? Thanks! You made my day! I'm really glad you like it.  
  
Nikki101- Thanks a billion times! You made my day, too :D I'm glad you like it!!! Wow!  
  
RedRaspberry- Thanks, I try to make it as 'unique' as possible!  
  
Well then, does anyone have good ideas as to what they want to come next? Because im going to have writers block very soon, so what should they do at the movies? 


	7. Number NinteySeven

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: J.K. is everything that is good. Not moi.__

* * *

_

_Previously_

_Marry gave a small, but disappointed wave and stayed where she was. Her eyes never left James, even after (to her disappointment) he, laughing, stormed into one of the theatres with Lily at his heels. Her permanent smile flickered for the first time, but she shook it off. Turning her back, she walked swiftly away into the parking lot, as if nothing had happened. Mary, if only she would have realized then: James was just a waste of her time._

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Number Nintey-Seven   
**

"Hey Evans." James tapped Lily's shoulder, who turned around and smiled widely.

"Hi, so how was your date?" Lily asked as she slapped the money on the counter and they walked together towards their movie, sweets loaded up high.

"Good," James shrugged, "It was the typical kind of date."

"Ah."

"No one else could make it?" James said, disappointed.

"Sadly, no." Lily shook her head.

"Oh well, next time."

They found two seats in the very front of the theatre and made themselves at home. Fifteen minutes through the movie, their eyes were un-blinking and glued onto the screen, and not to mention their popcorn bowl was half empty. The movie was generally fun and exciting, especially when Lily and James started making jokes on all the cheesy parts and cracking up in random moments. They got a few glares and a few shut up's, but nothing too bad. The movie was exactly what they had expected, filled with scary goodness. At the very end, Lily was gripping whatever she was holding (or was closest) extremely tight, and grinning madly. Once it was James' shirt, and another time it was the popcorn bowl which exploded onto the floor.

When the movie was over, they went along with the line out of the theatre; reciting the quotes they had loved the most and talking about the scariest parts.

"Holy shit, I'm going to have nightmares…" James said in mock fright. Lily looked at him and he quickly remembered. "Oh, sorry." He said sheepishly.

Lily waved it off and agreed, "I'm going to end up sneaking into Leah's room and hiding under her bed."

"This was defiantly a better movie…" James trailed off.

Lily snorted, "Barney's Sing-Along-Songs is better than that movie!"

"Anyway, how'd you get here?" James asked curiously as they reached the parking lot.

"I drove, you?"

"I flooed to my ex-girlfriends house, she lives here in muggle London. Then I walked." James explained, "It was quicker than driving."

Lily rolled her eyes, "Man-whore!"

"I'm not a man whore!" James defended himself, and Lily cracked a smile.

"Just tell yourself that…"

James stuck his tongue out at her, "Anyway, I've never ridden in the front seat of a muggle car before." He said in a very childish voice, "So I'll come with you!"

"Ok, don't bother asking me! Come on, my car's over there." Lily pointed.

The car had been Leah's parents before they died, and Leah gave it to Lily. It was a neon-green 'Buggy' with lots of bumper stickers on the back. The dashboard had a bobble-head Chiwawa and there were dice hanging from the mirror. It was funky.

"Get in." Lily ordered after she un-locked the car. James cautiously did so, and instantly started pressing buttons that would have probably set off lights and alarms…had the car been on.

Lily went around and into the drivers seat and watched James' amused look.

"Ready?" She asked cautiously. He grinned and nodded.

Lily thrust the key into the ignition and the engine gave a loud roar. James, who had never heard the peculiar sound before, jumped up in surprise and banged his head on the roof.

"Damn it…" he rubbed his head, "Why is it so loud?"

Lily laughed at him, "Press that button over there."

James pushed down on the button by the window, and watched in amazement as it rolled down. How did muggles do this? WITHOUT MAGIC?

"Amazing…" he whispered in awe, and began to make the window twitch up and down.

"I know, and we haven't even started driving!" Lily grinned and backed up out of the parking space.

James looked franticly around at this odd contraption. "Step on it!" He exclaimed, he had heard that in the movie they had just seen.

Lily laughed and jerked the car forward extremely fast, making James bump his head again. He glared at her before returning his head out the window. She slowed down again and this time showed James the windshield wipers. I can imagine it must have looked rather odd, James' face pressed against the front window, staring inventively at the water droplets.

"What does this button do?" James asked curiously and pressed a big red button.

"DON'T PRESS THAT BU- oh, that's the radio." Lily said as soon as she heard the familiar melody of a song. ACDC, was it? (A/N: XD)

"Wow!" James pressed his ear against the speaker.

"How is it you're rich, have your own cheuffer, but yet you've never ridden in a car?"

"I'm too cool for cars. Nah, really, never bothered."

Lily rolled her eyes and remained silent, keeping an eye on the road ahead.

The ride continued with rather interesting events, such as James finding out he could make air come out of some holes in the car. In about ten minutes, Lily parked in front of Leah's house and stepped out. Since James was such an idiot, she had to open his door for him. As they entered the house, they found the "gang" cooped up inside the small living room sitting on the couches. They were laughing just as Lily and James entered the house, and they turned around to great them. To Lily and James' surprise, Peter, too, was there.

James waved while Lily meekly said, "Hey guys." Peter made her a little uncomfortable.

"Hey." The room waved in unison.

"Come on Lils," Leah patted her lap and Lily grinned and walked over as she sat on Leah's lap.

"How was the movie?" Remus asked as James sat himself on the floor.

"Great." Lily stuck her thumbs.

"Lily was scared, she was holding on to me the WHOLE time!" James batted his eyelashes and ducked the pillow that was thrown viciously at him.

"Shut it." Lily mumbled.

"Oh, oh, oh! So this is true!" Sirius wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and gave Lily a little wink.

"It was freaky…" Lily said defensively.

"Hey," Peter stuck his hands up pleading innocent, "Its not wrong for you to like Jamsie."

Lily, being the mature young adult she is, flipped him the bird jokingly as her only response.

"She's in denial Pete," Sirius whispered audibly into Peter's ear.

"I cant help it if I'm sexy!" James shrugged and then seductively clawed out a drawling, "Rawwrr."

Lily flung another pillow at James' obnoxious head in hopes to possibly pop it and see air zooming out of his ear. Sadly, that didn't happen.

"I'm going to go upstairs and sleep…" Lily stood up but was quickly grabbed by the collar and yanked back down by Leah.

"Lils! This is our last night before going to Hogwarts! Don't leave me!" Leah pouted, and Lily cursed as she gave in and sat down again.

"Let's have some Fire Whisky!" Sirius cheered. He waved his wand and was about to conjure some bottle, when Lily grabbed his arm sternly.

"No, Sirius, you and Fire Whisky aren't the best of friends when you're spazzing on the floor like a banana." Lily explained calmly, ignoring Sirius's looks.

So, Sirius reluctantly brought up some non-alcoholic Butterbeer and everyone eagerly took a bottle into their hands.

The last night of being sixth years was spent watching movies and telling fortunes (or lame attempts) until 1 AM. The living room was now completely trashed, with pillows over-turned and wrappers all over the floor, the record player blaring hard and TV reciting mutedly in the background. Lily was leaning against Remus who was leaning against Sirius who was singing Karaoke who was being watched by Leah who's hair was being untangled by Peter who was being poked repeatedly by James.

The night had been, interesting, to say the least. Nothing had been achieved other than having pure fun, but that was important, too. Now everyone was tired and cranky, and not ready to get so early.

Except for Sirius, who was still singing enthusiasticly.

"Shut up Padfoot." Peter mumbled as he rolled onto the floor and closed his eyes.

"Come on, we should head back to my house." James commented and somehow managed to stand up.

"I have half a mind to just stay here and sleep." Remus mumbled and rubbed his eyes.

"You guys are welcome if you want." Leah offered.

"No! We have our stuff at home." Sirius denied rather politely with a fling of his hand.

"We're staying." The remaining Marauders said immediately, and collapsed onto the floor and found some position that was mildly snug.

"M'kay…" Lily trailed off with a huge yawn, and Leah rested her head on Remus' stomach.

"Guys…" Sirius whined but realized his comrades were visiting their own little world right now, and could not hear one word he spoke.

He sighed reluctantly and stepped over the mangled bodies on his way to the couch. He accommodated himself upon the couch and even though his mind was racing, he found himself some sleep.

A voice at the back of her head told Lily to wake up, and her eyes shot awake. Light was seeping in through the window crack. Looking around, Lily absorbed the scene before her. Everything, completely trashed, nothing was in order. The record player was silently spinning making no sound. Her back began to hurt, and that was when her mind registered she had slept on the ground. Sitting up slightly, she realized everyone was on the ground, sleeping smoothly. Even Sirius, who had fallen off the couch was still sleeping.

The clock above the fireplace read 10:15, and in realization Lily quickly jumped up, waking the others awake in the process.

"Fuck! Fuck! Hurry up guys!" Lily exclaimed, as everyone's eyes cracked open.

"What is it?" James said right after a long, drawling yawn.

"It's 10:15, we leave in forty-five minutes!" She was now wide awake, very, very awake.

The room soon cluttered even more, as everyone ran around to collect their things.

The Marauders sprang one at a time into the fireplace and into James' house, where they rain up the mansion stairs, found their rooms. In a hurry they grabbed the luggages they had packed the day before, and ran back down.

"Honey," Mrs. Potter called, who was sitting on a clean table with a coffee mug in her hand.

The four stopped abruptly.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to your father and I?" She grinned and James quickly headed back.

"Bye Mum, love you." He said, giving her hug and kiss.

"You be good, make us proud this year!" She smiled ecstatically as she surveyed his look. "You are going to change your clothes, right? " She said eyeing his clothing.

"Right," James muttered, "at my friends house." And his mother smiled.

"Bye son." Mr. Potter appeared in the kitchen and gave him a quick hug. "We were wondering where you got off to. Be good this year, I know you'll make a great Head-Boy."

"Bye Dad, thanks." James waved and turned away, running towards the fireplace.

"Make sure to write!" Mrs. Potter called finally.

"I will!" James cried.

"Bye Mr. And Mrs. Potter!" The other three called.

"Bye boys, its been nice seeing you here!" Mr. Potter waved as they saw them disappear.

James shook his head and promised himself he was never going to be this un-organized again. His parents were probably wondering if something was wrong with him, now.

"We should have packed." Lily announced as she stuffed all her belongings back into her trunk.

"I know, we have to hurry!" Leah called back from the other room.

Lily put the last things into her trunk and locked it shut. Looking around the room to make sure nothing was left behind, she then picked up her trunks and put them by the stairs. Leah followed suit as well, and they ran around the house making sure they had all their school supplies.

"What's the time?" Lily asked.

Leah checked her watch, "10:30, we're okay."

"Okay," Lily relaxed and thought for a moment. "What do we have to do?"

"You call the cab, I'll run the car to the lot." Leah ordered, as she grabbed a sweatshirt and ran out the door in a flash.

Lily had forgotten about that. This was a very tight community, and everyone knew everything. Leah was often a topic of conversation when there was nothing to speculate about. Why was she never there? Leah had often explained she when to a private school, but word had gotten out that was not the case. Last year, they had threatened to take her car away because it was always parked there and taking up too much space. Which was really ridiculous, and it ended up costing Leah money that she shouldn't need to spend.

The cab was going to come in five minutes, which gave them enough time if Leah got back that soon. Lily sat on a chair in the kitchen waiting impatiently for her friends to arrive. Three minutes later, the Marauders came crashing into the house, with their trunks and owls at hand.

"Are we on time?" Sirius panted.

"Yeah," Lily turned to face them, "Leah is parking the car and the cab should arrive in two minutes or so."

"Okay then, we need to change then." Remus remembered.

Lily was about to protest, but then saw what they were wearing. "Yes, please go change." She waved the off and they ran to separate bathrooms.

Then, a honking from outside made Lily jump.

"Damn!" She cursed and ran up to check the window. Sure enough, the cab was on the street waiting for them.

"Guys! The cab is here!" Lily yelled.

You could hear a clunk in every bathroom, and they began to rush as if they were on fire.

Lily flung the door open and began to quickly load up the cab, and the driver began to tap his hands impatiently.

Almost at once, the four guys came rushing down the stairs and squished into the car.

"Hell, this is going to be hard." Remus muttered as he attempted to stick his owl in the back.

Sirius and James where also trying to make everything fit in the car, and when everything was ready to leave, they remembered Leah.

"Crap." Lily cursed, "Leah was supposed to drop me the keys!" She slammed the trunk down hard, and it shook the car.

The guys sighed and the bus driver turned around and asked how much longer it would take. The owls were making an incredibly amount of noise, and the five students were talking trying to find a solution.

"Okay, we'll drive over the lot, drive back, close the house, and leave." Lily said trying to be calm, and she got in the car and shut the door.

The cab began to pull away from the small house, and deep concern and anxiety penetrated through Lily's heart. Where the hell was Leah? Right before they were about to leave the neighborhood, Lily spotted someone through the corner of her eyes running after the cab with flailing arms.

"STOP!" Lily yelled at the driver and he jerked the car to a stop, his face showing obvious irritation.

Lily rolled the window down, "Is everything okay?"

Leah nodded as she came closer. She closed the door to the house, and ran up to the cab. "Sorry." She apologized to the cab driver and her friends, and quickly hopped on the backseat and sat on Remus.

"Are you all done yet?" The bus driver turned around to face them with an icy tone.

"Yes, off we go." James said dully.

"How long do you think it'll take to get to the station?" Remus asked the driver.

"Fifteen minutes, at the least." He said superiorly.

10:40, they better get there in time.

The ride was silent and full of heavy anticipation fogging up in the car. With five minutes until eleven, they zoomed up at the side of the station, and quickly tumbled out.

Leah paid the driver as everyone un-loaded the baggage, and in no more than a minute, they were all running down the isles to reach their station.

There was no one else from Hogwarts entering the station, just families leaving. A mother gave them the familiar look of, "You better hurry up or you aint gonna make it!"

Not even checking to make sure no muggles were watching, they all charged into the wall of Platform 9 ¾ and disappeared behind the gray stone and into a green field with a train steaming, about to take off.

"Hurry!" Remus cried as they all ran as fast as they possibly could down the small hill. They yanked open the doors of the train and scrambled into the narrow alley, just in time. Thirty seconds later, the train took off, leaving the scene behind them and letting it rail away until you couldn't see it at all. Professor McGonogald gave them a stern look before shooing them off to find a compartment.

For the first time in seven years, the Marauders, Leah, and Lily shared one compartment. Now, I'm not going to say they were all friends, but they did get along. Sometimes there were moment of silences and times where they wished to be alone, but in the end it turned out okay, with lots of laughs.

Lily and James had to work together and go to the Prefects compartment to teach this years perfects. James did most the talking, as everyone listened to him. Remus had explained to Lily everything about her duties and everyone else's, so she wouldn't feel clueless. She got the general idea, and as long as no one asked her any questions, she would be fine.

"Does everyone understand?" James wrapped up his speech, and the faces from the four different houses nodded in agreement.

"Good, now remember, if you violate any of the rules yourself, don't think that you can get away with it. You may not take advantage of your badge in any way, or it can be taken from you. Now, if nobody has any questions, you are all free to leave."

The Prefects stood up and traveled in herds out of the Prefect's cart, their voices mingling together to form a murmur of talk. Malfoy, a seventh year Slytherin, shot James a dirty look. This might have been for three reasons. One, he was a Slytherin, the most well-known Gryffindor rival. It also might have been because he had wanted the position of Head Boy, which he didn't get. It also could have been the fact that he was Malfoy, the most cruel and cold-hearted boy in probably the whole school. James just threw back a smirk of triumph as he walked away. Yes, everything was normal once again.

"How'd I do?" James asked Lily as they began to walk back to the compartment.

"Pretty good I guess," she shrugged, "I don't know what its supposed to be like."

James seemed satisfied by that answer, and looked proudly ahead.

"I'm fucking tired, tell Leah and them that I'm sleeping in some random empty compartment, okay?" Lily asked James. He nodded and they went their separate ways.

Lily marched down the isles trying to find a compartment that was empty. There usually were a few compartments in the very back that weren't occupied, occasionally taken up by new teachers, if any. The very last compartment was empty, so Lily stepped inside and locked the door behind her.

The sound proof doors kept any annoying sounds from entering the room, and kept all the secrets safe from leaving. Forgetting about anything else that might have been on her mind, Lily fell into a deep sleep upon the leather-covered seats.

(A/N: She loves to sleep, doesn't she?)

_She couldn't make out much, except for shelves, everywhere. Covering every inch of the dark, gloomy room. Small, glittering specks shining vibrantly, like stars in the sky. She wasn't there, herself, but like her past dreams like this, she was completely conscious although she had no control over anything happening. _

_A voice of a teenager a few years younger than Lily, whispered, "You said it was row ninety-seven."_

_ "Yeah," someone that Lily could not see replied. _

_"We go to the right, I think," whispered the female voice again. "Yes…that's fifty four…"_

_"Keep your wands out," the male voice said again. _

_Lily could just barley make them out as they crept through the gloom. There were six figures, or maybe five. The boy that had spoken before was at the front, and he looked surprisingly like someone she knew. His raven black hair. And those glasses. Was it James? Perplexed, Lily surveyed the rest of the crowd. A girl, who's voice Lily had heard moments before, had bushy brown hair and a very organized look to her. The boy following her had bright red hair, rather tall, and very intent. The rest of the figures Lily could not make out, as they were too far behind for her to see clearly._

_Only their breathing could be heard, and she was transfixed on them as they walked closer. _

_"Ninety-seven!"_

_They all huddled together and looked at the alley before them, expecting to see something._

_"He's right down at the end," the James-look-a-like said reassuringly, but Lily could tell he was doubting himself, "You cant see him properly from here…" _

_They held their breaths as they walked forward, waiting for something. _

_"Anywhere here…really close…" he sounded almost panicked._

_"He might be…" he looked down the next isle, "Or maybe…" he ran up to the one after that desperately. _

_"Harry?" The girl called weakly._

_So that was his name…_

_"What?" Harry snarled._

_"I…I don't think Sirius is here." She spoke the words, and the air became tight. _

_Sirius? What the fuck did he have to do with anything?_

_The poor boy looked sick, as he ran down the never-ending isles, who's lights flickered as he passed._

_"Harry!" The red-haired boy called._

_"What?"_

_It was obvious this, Harry, as he was called, did not want to know what. _

_"Have you seen this?" He was looking at a shelf, something specific that was glowing, like the rest of the room. _

_"What?" Harry asked this time curiously as he ran to where his friend was standing, "What?"_

_Lily wished passionately she could see, her curiosity was once again getting the better of her. She had been so involved in this dream in front of her she had forgotten it was just a dream. _

_"It's- It's got your name on it." _

_Lily squinted her eyes desperately to catch the name on the small vessel, but could not as the scene before her faded to black._

_Lily's mind darted around in the darkness, and found nothing. Slowly, as if she was standing next to the rising sun, a huge light rose up, and another scene appeared before her. _

_The air was tense, filled with surprises and the un-expected twists. A battle scene was going on before her, and it intrigued her, she'd never really seen a magical duel before. But there was so much going on in front of her she wanted to see it all at the same time. _

_Her eyes found their way upon Dumbledore, who certainly made his presence clear. Frail figures in dark, covered in hoods scrambled away defensively as Dumbledore glided into the center of the room. His spells shot out so gracefully and easily, one swift flow of motion._

_A familiar voice tore her concentration off of Dumbledore, and she realized that there were only two people who did not seem to recognize Dumbledore was in the room. Lily smiled widely as she saw the familiar face of Sirius Black, but he was much older now. More mature looking, but the same. His eyes…so different. They held so much emotion, and the last time Lily had seen him, he had been just hopping around the world, laughing at everything that came his way. He was battling with a woman, who Lily could not recognize at this moment. She, too, had a dark swishing cloak, and her face was tired and worn. _

_ "Come on, you can do better than that!" Sirius yelled at his opponent._

_Yes, this was her Sirius. However, Lily felt a sense of dread, as she saw a glint of chaotic determination spread across the mysterious woman's face that Sirius had obviously not seen. He was laughing, the same full round laugh he always let out. As the red light shot off her wand, Lily knew Sirius laugh was going to end all too soon. _

_Laughter was cut short as his eyes grew wide in shock, but the glint still in his eyes. Gracefully, he swooned backwards, falling backwards ever so slowly, so cinematic. An arch with a frail veil stood behind him. It slowly parted as he fell backwards. Like flowing water, he fell so easily it did not seem like death at all._

_But Lily knew better, and her heart broke and shattered into pieces. Yet again, she witnessed the death of someone she cared for. She had only really gotten to know Sirius this summer, but they had become quick friends. And seeing anyone die was a horrible, horrible thing._

_ Harry's cry at the other side of the room told her he had been watching this death._

_"SIRIUS! SIRIUS!" He called and ran forward desperately and anxiously. _

_Did Sirius know Harry? How? Why? Lily felt the broken pieces of her heart burst into flames and turn to ashes, and if she had been capable of crying at the moment, she would have. This boy obviously cared for Sirius with all of his heart. Well, it made sense; Harry looked so much like Sirius' best friend, James._

_Harry was reaching out exasperatingly, passionately reaching out for what he knew he couldn't. _

_Lily jumped as she saw her best friend, Remus, reaching out and grabbing Harry around the chest and pulling him backwards. If dear Remi hadn't grabbed him, Harry would have jumped in and followed Sirius' fate._

_She found satisfaction in the fact that Remus' face was still the same, wise and intelligent. Older, and filled with so many more things. Lily knew, just knew, Leah had to be around here some place, they just HAD to be married…_

_Returning to the scene before her, she heard Remus whisper, "There's nothing you can do, Harry-"_

_"Get him! Save him! He's only just gone through!"_

_"It's too late, Harry-"_

_Lily saw the look in Remus' eyes, he too was feeling the immense pain that the boy Harry was probably feeling, as he just saw one of his best friends die. He handled it so calmly, and she could just hardly detect the quiver in his voice. If only she could say something right now, come out and do something, but she couldn't. Once again, she was helpless in the times she wished the most she wasn't. And her dreams, always so real…_

Lily woke up with a start, panting and sweating, and soon realized she had tears in her eyes. She sat up straight and quickly wiped away the tears from her eyes. Why hadn't she woken up when she had began to cry? She sniffed and recalled the vivid dream, wishing she hadn't seen it.

She needed Leah again.

* * *

I've been a bad girl.  
  
A bad bad bad girl.  
  
Spork me to death if you want, I have not updated. I had a huuuge writers block, and I had no clue what to do, GOD DAMN! Sigh  
  
Well, the good news is you have this chapter and the next chapter already written for you. I'll put up ch. 8 in a day or so.  
  
I promise.  
  
If not you can all beat me to death  
  
Later and MUCH SORRIES!  
  
AND REVIEW!! 


	8. Back To Hogwarts

**Emerlad Eyes**

_Disclaimer: Me don't own_

_And no, I didn't realize I wrote Lily Pottter XD thank ya for telling me though, this is why Im editing it..._

* * *

_Previously_

_Lily woke up with a start, panting and sweating, and soon realized she had tears in her eyes. She sat up straight and quickly wiped away the tears from her eyes. Why hadn't she woken up when she had began to cry? She sniffed and recalled the vivid dream, wishing she hadn't seen it._

_She needed Leah again._

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Back to Hogwarts**  
  
Quickly, Lily opened the door and pushed through, running down the empty isles rather rushed, until she came to the one Leah was in. She knocked on the door and whipped her eyes, just in case whoever answered wasn't Leah.  
  
"What?" Peter's pudgy face appeared through the crack in the door. "Have you been cr-"  
  
"Get me Leah." Lily said quickly, interrupting Peter's sentence.  
  
Inside, the rest were listening inventively with questioning and slightly worried looks on their faces. Peter shrugged and looked back at Leah and pointed at the door. Leah excused herself and quickly stood up and joined Lily outside.  
  
"What's wrong?" Leah whispered upon seeing Lily's eyes, but she quickly grabbed her hand and dragged her to the end of the train to the compartment she had just been at. Leah did not say a word, but followed mutely and drowning in her own curiosity at what could have happened.  
  
As soon as they sat down, Leah asked her question again, "What's wrong, hun?"  
  
"I had another dream." Lily said bluntly, and Leah's face fell.  
  
"Care to explain what it was this time?"  
  
"I have no clue what the hell it was! There were two parts, one was in this...place with shelves and glowy candle things. It was dusty and there were five or six kids a little younger than us in a group. One was named Harry, and I swear he was a James look-a-like, right down to the glasses. And they were looking for Sirius, but they couldn't find him. Then this one kid pointed out something with Harry's name on it, and I was so fuckin curious but I couldn't see it." Lily shrugged and continued.  
  
"So then the scene disappears and it's like a battle scene. There were these dark hooded people fighting with some people who actually looked quite familiar, now that I think about it. Anyway, then Dumbledore arrived, and everyone practically stopped or ran away with fear. Then I saw Sirius!"  
  
Leah raised her eyebrow.  
  
Lily nodded and continued, "But he was older, and different, but the same. It was weird. He was fighting this girl, who was also in a dark hood. Then...then she..." Lily gulped and sighed a weak sigh, "she killed Sirius. I don't know, it was horrible. Then that Harry kid, he saw him die. I don't know where they knew each other, but they obviously were close, and you should have just seen the look on the poor kid face. You should have seen Sirius' body...it was horrible. Then Remus ran in, and he grabbed Harry before he jumped in after Sirius. He, too, looked so different, but had this sort of...story that made him different. I don't know what it was all about, but God damn, I saw him die!"  
  
Leah grabbed Lily's hand and held it tight as Lily tried to stop the tears from flooding her eyes.  
  
"Hun, that's horrible...how many dreams are you going to have to have before you go crazy?"  
  
Lily sniffed and smiled at Leah, "I feel better just telling you. Thank God for you, Lees."  
  
Leah just smiled back, "I'll always be here for you. If you have any more dreams, make sure to tell me."  
  
"I will."  
  
"Now, if you're ready to go back..."  
  
"Yeah, let's go. Don't tell anyone, though, please." Lily said pleadingly. Leah would probably think of telling Dumbledore if it happened again, and for some reason Lily thought he shouldn't know.  
  
Leah gave her a look and then sighed and sternly said, "Fine, I wont. Just promise me you'll never forget it. Bad things happen when you do."  
  
Lily wondered exactly what she meant, but decided that this was not the moment to ask. Leah's inquiries and been right before, Lily trusted them. However astonished, she quickly nodded her head.  
  
They returned to the compartment with not much talk, and as they opened the door everyone inside grew silent as they rested their eyes upon them.  
  
As soon as Lily saw Sirius, an ecstatic grin spread across her face and she gave him huge hug, and sighed happily. Sirius was taken aback, but none the less managed to pat her back in re-assurance.  
  
"Yes, I love you, too." He muttered, unsure of what to say. "What's happening?" Remus mouthed mutely to Leah and she jerked her head to the side meaning she'd tell him later.  
  
Lily retreated with a wide smile on her face, and sat down next to Remus looking extremely joyful for a person who woke up crying less than five minutes ago.  
  
"Anyways," Remus said, catching on that she didn't want to talk right now, "we were just reading this article. Pretty freaky, take a look," James tossed Lily a newspaper article that had been neatly cut out and folded.  
  
She took it with great curiosity and read it eagerly:  
  
Murder at the Ministry  
  
"For the first time in at least a century, officers and healers gather outside the doors of Suit 189 at the U.K's Ministry of Magic building. Inside, not less than three hours ago, Ronald Higgkins, a Muggle Relations worker, was found dead on the floor. Co-workers said they had not heard anything from him the whole day, and when they entered the room, they found papers and chairs over-turned and Ronald on the floor. Not much public information has been received yet, but Healers do say this was not an accidental death, that in fact this was a murder. The only death that has happened in U.K's Ministry of Magic in the past century was that of John Rinking, after slipping on an ice-cube in the break room.  
  
Something similar happened two weeks ago today in France's Ministry, another death occurred and there is no source confirmed so far. Could these two be linked? Could this be part of the killing spree introduced to us some years ago?"  
  
"Oh God..." Lilly mumbled.  
  
Remus had told her about the killings around seven years ago, how an evil wizard by the name of Lord Voldemort had started killing people one by one, every week, until everyone was petrified. Life was a mess, and there were even problems at the schools, she hard heard. Although Remus had been very vague in his explanation, Lily could tell it was something to fear and that there had been sufferings. Some of the killings were kept in secret, to make people feel safe when really their life was at stake every time they walked down the street to do even the most simple and innocent of things.  
  
There hadn't been a huge uproar in the past four to six years, and everyone was glad about it. Life returned to normal, and those murders that should have been a warning sign were quickly passed off as accidental. When a muggle born was found dead hanging from his roof, they said he fell. When an Auror's house was lit into flames, they blamed it on a silly riot of some local teenagers. When a muggle born seven year old was abducted and never found again, they said she had gotten lost. Yes, even if people were dieing, their screams were muffled and everyone lived life as if there was nothing to fear. Their mistake?  
  
They forgot.  
  
And bad things happen when you forget.  
  
(A/N: I would end it right here, but I think I'll add more)  
  
"Firs' years this way!" The familiar fraise was shouted over the waves of chatter, as the small first years huddled their way over to the large man, Hagrid. It was intimidating, Lily could see why. The glittering jewel, Hogwarts castle, was standing high above them, with a mysterious, warm aura that beckoned them forward.  
  
"Were we that small when we came here?" James exclaimed, not really noticing how much time he had spent in Hogwarts. All this years, he had never stopped to think about it.  
  
"I guess so. But wow, everything has just flown by." Lily said slowly.  
  
"I wish I had gotten to cross over the lake..." Leah sighed.  
  
"So do I." Lily agreed longingly.  
  
"You didn't cross the lake??" Remus said, wide-eyed, at Lily.  
  
"No, on the train I got into a little fight, and me knowing no magic lost badly. They had to rush me across the bridge." Lily shook her head sadly as they made their way forward with the bustling crowd.  
  
Then, something sparked in Lily's brain, "Hey Leah! I have an awesome idea! Lets go get a boat and cross the lake!"  
  
Leah laughed rather nervously as she saw her eager look, "Are you sure? Will they have enough for everyone else?"  
  
"We'll transfigure one!" Lily improvised.  
  
Leah bit her lip and gave Remus, James, and Sirius a 'What should I do' look.  
  
"Well....okay. Lets go!"  
  
"Oh my God." James shook his head while Remus sighed, and Sirius wanted to come along.  
  
Lily grinned largely and took Leah by the hand as they zipped through the crowd, pushing their way against the tide, to where the lake began.  
  
"Get me a leaf!" Leah panted.  
  
Lily handed her a rather large, thick one, which was soon floating along the lake in the form of the boat.  
  
They paddled viciously though the water, determined to get to the other side quickly. "Come on, come on!"  
  
"We rock at this." Lily stated as they flew along the water.  
  
"Don't we? I wonder if the squid is out." Leah stopped her paddling and peered into the water. It was rather hard to see what was under water, since it was night.  
  
"Maybe, but he's probably up ahead with the firsties." Lily shrugged and stopped her paddling, too.  
  
"It's so beautiful here, in the middle of the lake, on a small boat." Leah sighed and looked in the direction of the mob of students nosily cramming themselves into the entrance double doors. It was just a whisper from where they were.  
  
"It is..." Lily agreed. "But we should keep going now, or we'll miss the sorting."  
  
They quickly grabbed their paddles and rowed towards the magnificent stone castle. The place everything good had happened, their home. Lily never wanted to leave it, never.  
  
(A/N: That was sort of odd, ignore it. I was bored and wanted to feel powerful so I made them do something random XD)  
  
"Girls, what ya be doing on them boats?" Hagrid asked them as they landed smoothly onto the shore.  
  
"Well, we though it would be cool since we never got to go across the lake in our first year."  
  
"Ah yes, I 'member that. You, Leah, came here in your third year, ay?" He asked as he collected the boats and tied them together.  
  
"Yep. Too bad, though." Leah shrugged.  
  
"We should go now Hagrid, the sorting will begin any minute now. Bye!" Lily and Leah waved to him, as he put up his giant hand as a good bye.  
  
Warmth covered them as they swept into the noisy Great Hall, and the smell of freshly baked food was mingling around the air. The first years were already lined up, and the girls came in time to hear the last two lines of the Sorting Hat's song.  
  
"But no matter where you might end up, Our strongest bonds will keep us one."  
  
As Leah and Lily sat down at the table, they clapped with the rest of the student bodies, but rather sad they missed the last sorting hat song they'd ever hear.  
  
"Was it good?" Lily whispered to Remus.  
  
He shrugged, "Good enough, I don't think you missed anything."  
  
Leah was probably the most enthusiastic person about thee Sorting to ever have stumbled into Hogwarts, after Dumbledore that is. She began to cheer loudly when the first kid to get sorted, Christina Avery.  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
Always the first to star clapping and the last to stop, she had a blast cheering for the Gryffindors and clapping for the other houses.  
  
A few times Remus had to pull her down so she wouldn't hurt herself being so enthusiastic. There were seven additions to the Gryffindor house, and Leah greeted them all with hugs, and she was talking to the rapidly.  
  
"Make sure never to go into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, or she'll flood it! Funny story about the bathroom-"  
  
However, she was cut short as Dumbledore rose to the middle of the room, and all eyes rested on him. His eyes sparkled with a knowing secret, and his smile was wide and old.  
  
"Hello again," he began, "to another year of Hogwarts. To those who have just come, welcome all. I do hope this will prove to be a fine, fine year. I will remind you all that the Forbidden Forest is forbidden, hence the name, and you may not go in there under any circumstances, especially now." His eyes found its way towards the Gryffindor table and he winked, "Even if you are most familiar with it already. Filtch would like me to remind you the school rules will be posted year round in front of his door, and they will be enforced this year, again. Now, before you begin your feast I would like to introduce to you the new Head Boy, James Potter."  
  
James rose from his seat graciously and raised his arms to the air, bowing as everyone cheered loudly and clapped enthusiastically. (Not to mention a few cat calls).  
  
"And the Head Girl, Lily Evans."  
  
Lily, having been around a hyper Leah, was now very energetic and jumped out of her seat and gave James a high five on his forehead. There was not clapping at the beginning, just disbelieving glances and looks of hatred in her direction. Nonetheless, there was a congratulations in the end.  
  
"You may ask them any questions, comments or concerns and I'm sure they'll be more than happy to help. Will the two of them please see me after the feast please?" He looked in their direction and then continued, "Now, if all is well, eat up children, and let the feast begin!"  
  
Instantly, noise rose quickly and soon flooded the whole room, so you could only hear the people next to you. Turkey, mashed potatoes, pies, and cakes of all sort appeared in front of everyone, and their goblets filled themselves with pumpkin juice. Everything was cooked to perfection, it was wonderful.  
  
Yes, this was their home. Home at last.  
  
A group of four girls approached the Marauder's confidently, whom quickly scooted aside to make room for the girls. Two of which were Janet and Lindsey, the girls who had been at Remus'.  
  
"Hey..." Another girl, Amy, drawled out seductively. "How have you guys been?"  
  
Leah and Lily rolled their eyes and scooted down the table so they were by Remus but away from the other people.  
  
"God damn, everything is complete now. Sucky girls at my right, wonderful Leah at my left." Lily leaned forward and whispered to Remus, who grinned at her.  
  
"You know what? If I could stay here forever, I would." Remus told Lily and Leah. "This is the first place I really feel accepted and safe. Well, you know, because of..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, we know." Leah hushed as she cocked her head to the side and pointed out the four girls who didn't know.  
  
"Oh don't worry, they wont listen to our conversation unless we stick their names and the word sex in the same sentence." Lily shrugged and rolled her eyes, causing Leah to choke on her juice.  
  
"God, you're going to send me to the Hospital Wing."  
  
"Did I ever tell you all that I love you?" Lily asked her two friends randomly, as she took a bite out of a freshly baked apple pie.  
  
Remus and Leah looked up at her with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Random, Lily." Remus nodded slowly and returned to his food.  
  
"Well, I love you guys."  
  
"We love you too Lils!" Leah exclaimed as she spread her arms out and gave Lily a hug.  
  
"CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE?" Lily shouted.  
  
A few seats away from them, Amy looked at them rolled her eyes. "Fags." She said to Sirius and James, "They're such freaks. Why are they even in the Gryffindor house? They should be in like freako-house or something like that, cuz they're freaks!"  
  
She giggled at her corny joke, and so did all her friends around her.  
  
James and Sirius exchanged un-easy glances, "Well..." started Sirius, not quite sure if he should defend Leah and Lily or not.  
  
Obviously, Amy wasn't that intent on an answer from them, "Are you gay or something?" She then began to crack up at her own joke, and again she was echoed. But then she flipped her hair behind her shoulder and looked at them, waiting for an answer cockily.  
  
"That's right, mothafucka." Leah said seriously.  
  
"Eww..." Amy threw them a dirty glance, not quite catching the witty sarcasm, and returned to her conversation after giving them another look.  
  
"You know what? She annoys me. And James and Sirius just sit and watch and don't even defend us!" Lily whispered with her teeth clenched to Remus, pointing at Amy.  
  
Before Remus was able to respond, James came up behind Lily and tapped her on the shoulder.  
  
"What?" Lily spun around and asked, very annoyed.  
  
"Gees," James stepped back, "I was just about to tell you we should go up to Dumbledore's now." He raised his hands up innocently.  
  
Lily sighed, exasperated, "Alright, I'll be there in a second."  
  
Meanwhile, Amy was behind Remus talking to him in a whisper, but was quickly stopped as Remus hushed her to say goodbye to the girls.  
  
Lily turned to her friends and said, "I'll be right back, going to Dumbledore's, if I don't see you here, I'll see you In the common room."  
  
"Hold on, I'm going to see Dumbledore, too, so I'll just go with you guys," Leah spoke and stood up to join her, and Lily gave her a questioning glance  
  
"Ok, see you girls later then," Remus said as he stood up, and gently leaned over the table to give Leah a quick peck on the lips.  
  
"Bye." Leah and Lily said in unison as they ran to meet James to go to Dumbledore's.  
  
After Professor McGonogall led them into the waiting room, the three stood waiting in front of the old oak door. Minutes later, Proffessor Dumbledore greeted them cheerfully, and let them all in at once.  
  
"Leah, may I asked why you have accompanied the Head Boy and Girl here?" Dumbledore asked as he placed his specks on his nose.  
  
"Uh, yes," Leah said nervously, "I had some personal business I'd like to talk to you about, if that's okay." She shifted un-easily, Dumbledore was the only one she ever got nervous around.  
  
"Of course, if Lily and James don't mind waiting a few minutes," they both shook their heads, "I will see you in my other office now."  
  
"Your office? Then what's this?" Lily asked, as she looked around at the organized room with books and shelves and portraits.  
  
"The waiting room, I have two!" As he walked away, he called back to her, "Sometimes the amount of fans is amazing!"  
  
When he was out of earshot, James muttered, "Wise, nutty old man he is." He walked to one end of the room, and sat on the couch opposite to that which Lily found herself on.  
  
There was silence, which made Lily drowsy. She got tired in the oddest times now, and it was beginning to scare her. But, if you're tired, you should rest, so that she did. Lily told herself, "Don't got to sleep, just rest your eyes..."  
  
_There was a musty, torn down, stone house in the middle of an empty street. There was one light, and only one light, in a small room at the very top of the house. A plump, short figure in a dark hood walked slowly and mysteriously up the stairs. The leaves sighed with the heavy breaths of the wind, as the figure came one step closer to the torn down door. He turned the doorknob slowly and pulled it open, and let out a shaky sigh. His legs began to shake and sweat collected onto his skin.  
  
"M-Master?" The voice was squeaky, rather scared.  
  
"Who goes there?" A cold, bone chilling voiced hissed evilly.  
  
"I-I'ts me..."  
  
"Ah, yes, Peter, so you came." It chuckled slightly, then walked into view. On the upper floor's stairs, a long black cloak swished back and forth. It wore gold linings and had a cane that resembled a snake. And, a real snake was coiled around his neck.  
  
"I thought you wouldn't come, how nice to see you did." It walked forward, it's cane clicking against the dusty cold marble floor.  
  
"I-I-I am ready." Peter trembled.  
  
"Are you now? I'm not so sure of that! CRUCIATUS!" He shot out a spell to Peter, who fell onto the floor and began to scream in pain. Every nerve of his body was repeatedly being stabbed with needles, in and out and in and out again.  
  
"Are you still ready?" The voice hissed calmly.  
  
"Y-Y-YES!" He shot out, followed by another scream.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
Peter nodded his head.  
  
"ANSWER ME!"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"Yes my Lord." The voice corrected.  
  
"Yes my Lord."  
  
The "Lord" stopped the Cruciatus curse, and Peter lay panting on the ground, with the most immense headache you could ever imagine penetrating in his mind.  
  
This boy knew what to do, he slowly got to his knees and bowed down to the cloaked figure.  
  
"Lord Voldemort, I am forever in your service."_

* * *

Meh, sorry bout the late update : But HEY its up! I wasn't that confident about the chapter, but I really liked the last Peter dream.  
  
LATER 


	9. Settling Back Down

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: Everything you know is JKs, the rest is mine. Sadly._

* * *

_Previously__"ANSWER ME!"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"Yes my Lord." The voice corrected.  
  
"Yes my Lord."  
  
The "Lord" stopped the Cruciatus curse, and Peter lay panting on the ground, with the most immense headache you could ever imagine penetrating in his mind.  
  
This boy knew what to do, he slowly got to his knees and bowed down to the cloaked figure.  
  
"Lord Voldemort, I am forever in your service."_

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Settling Back Down  
**

"Evans, wake up." James whispered in her ear, and she immediately woke up, panting for breath ridiculously. Her eyes were wide and her hands shook violently, but obviously James, who was looking down at her, didn't notice.

"You sleep too much, has anyone ever told you that?"

"No, but thanks…" She said meekly propping herself up, calming down slightly.

"Is it another nightmare?" James asked silently, not quite sure if he was close enough to ask her that and get a response.

Lily nodded, "Another one."

"What was it about?" James sat next to her on the couch timidly.

"There was a-" She caught her tongue in mid sentence, and had to bite her lip to keep it from spilling. She would have spilled it, had the dream not been about Peter. Peter? Peter Petrigrew? The plump, shy, tag-along boy? It must have been, the voice, the height, …and the shape.

With deep regret, she spoke, "I…can't say." Lily felt absolutely horrible, James had been so nice to her lately, and she had started to trust him. She sighed sadly and looked at him regretting.

At first, James looked rather hurt, his shoulders dropped and his face fell, but was quick to recover, "Its okay, I shouldn't have asked." Deciding on looking away, he left Lily feeling horrible.

"I'm sorry James, I would tell you if it had been any other normal nightmare!" Lily looked at him and her sentence ended in a whisper, which made a shiver go down James' spine. He quickly looked at her penetrating green eyes, and detected raging fear swimming around the green pools. Lily stared back; in hopes that if she did he'd detect that she was serious.

The silence was broken by footsteps returning from Dumbledore's private office.

"If you have any more requests, Miss Leah, feel free to ask. Now, I think you should get back to your room, I'm sure you'll see Lily there." Dumbledore smiled warmly as Leah gave her thanks and winked at Lily as she walked out the door.

"Professor, if it's alright with you, I also have some business I'd like to talk to you about." James said, standing up.

"Me too." Lily said quickly, standing up as well and surprising herself. Oh God, what was she going to tell him now?

James looked back at Lily and then to Dumbledore, he had a faint idea of what she might say.

Dumbledore looked pleased that he was being called upon and smiled, "Alright, I'll see both of you after I meet with you about the Heads meeting. Come this way, please."

The Head boy and girl followed him to his second office, which if possible, was more amazing that the last. It had a silver, swirling pensive located at the side of the room, and a brilliant phoenix perched by the window.

Lily stared at the phoenix wide-eyed, the feathers gracefully cascaded downwards, a trail of elegance and pride in its eyes. The color of blood red and the golden sweat of the sun, it was the most magnificent animal Lily had ever seen. The phoenix was looking around at the guests, and squawked a greeting.

"Wonderful pets, Phoenixes." Dumbledore commented as he spotted her staring. Lily quickly looked at him, caught by surprise, and smiled nervously. Joining James at the desk, they waited patiently for Dumbledore to begin.

"First things first," Dumbledore sat himself across from them, "Lily, you might be wondering why you were chosen as Head Girl, when you weren't chosen as Prefect."

Lily nodded at him, and he continued.

"I realized in this school, there is no one quite like you. Now, don't get me wrong, last year's prefects were incredibly intelligent, but none of them really possessed the kind of character you show. You have more than just intelligence, Lily, and it took me a while for it to come to mind. And when it did, I always thought of you as one to pass off responsibility, and we certainly could not have that. But again, I think I was wrong." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and then he continued, " And I thought you and James would get along and if you worked together could accomplish many productive things."

Taken by surprise, Lily looked at him in shock, but managed a, "Thank you, sir."

Dumbledore nodded and gave her a smile, before addressing them both, "As you know, you will both get your own rooms now, apart from the Gryffindor Common Room. However, we know it's your last year and your friends are most important, so you can go back any time, and there is a specially hallway which leads you to the Gryffindor Common room, its hard to miss. Lily, your password is 'Aries', the door is located behind the statue of a marble horse. You can change it at any moment, feel free to. James, your password is 'Hypogriff', and your door is located behind a painting of a knight. Go ahead and change it, as well, any time you want. I'll have one of the elves show you where the room is."

"Obviously, you will have many more responsibilities than you did last year. You must direct each Prefect Meeting, set up schedules for monitoring the halls, plan balls and parties, do the decorating, and all the work in-between. I am sure you two will be able to get it done and do a good job on it, but may I remind you to work together. I know you're not the best of friends, but please stay on civil terms with each other."

"I will leave the Prefect Meeting schedule up to you, but remember there must be at least two a month. Do you have any questions? I don't think I have to tell you not to miss-use your power…"

"No, we understand." Lily said, speaking for James as he nodded.

"Alright then," Dumbledore smiled, "I wish you good luck in your tasks, I'm sure you two will work hard. I'll see you, James, on the business you wanted to talk to me about. Lily, I'll let you know when you can come in."

Taking this as her cue to leave, she got up and walked out into the first office. This time she was determined to keep herself awake, and wandered around the room picking at all the extraordinary items laid out around the room. She even pulled out a few books and skimmed through them, even if they subjects were incredibly boring to her. As long as she didn't go to sleep…

About three minutes later, James walked out with his hands in his pockets, looking relieved, and told Lily that Dumbledore was ready for her.

"Thanks." Lily said before going into his office. All the anxiety and worry flooded back to her, and her heart pounded somewhat irregularly as she entered his room. What would she say? While she felt like spilling everything, like she had to Leah, something told her not to tell him everything.

She sat down, and all the anxiety and stress floated off as she saw Dumbledore. She felt safe around him, as if nothing wrong could possibly happen to her while he had his eyes on her.

"So, you said you wanted to talk to me. Is there something concerning you, anything you would like to know?" He clasped his arms together and rested them on his marble desk.

"Yeah…" Lily fidgeted uncomfortably, not really knowing how to say it. With Leah she wasn't ever really worried about if it made sense or not, just as long as she vaguely understood what was happening. Just to get her feelings out.

"I've been having these dreams. They're really odd, they seem real. It's also been basically about the same thing, in a way. The same kind of atmosphere. Like in one dream I was murdered, another dream I saw familiar looking people and horrible things happen to them, and the last one someone joined Lord Voldemort or something like that."

Dumbledore nodded, showing he understood.

"I've just been wondering why I've had them, it seems real, and it's not something you usually dream about. If they meant something." She then shrugged and sighed, "I'm sorry, this sounds really stupid now. I should go, I'm sorry for waiting your time-"

Dumbledore stuck out his hand, telling her to stop moving, and she sat back down on the chair.

"It does not sound stupid, at all. I fully understand, and I think I have an explanation."

At this, she raised an eyebrow and began to listen intently.

"Sometimes," he started, "magic can have more power than the owner expects it. It becomes one with the person, like a double, or a force. It does not know right or wrong, but it knows. Usually, when this person is very in tune with what is happening, dreams can warn you and tell you about the future. Sometimes it can be another person showing you this, but that is very rare."

Lily nodded, and now wished she had never asked. Was it all real? No, it couldn't be. Absolutely not, there was no way in HELL.

"Is everything true?" She found herself asking absently.

"No, not all the time. Sometimes only half, sometimes hardly any of it, because its telling you by the form of dream. Therefore your mind is still thinking and twisting things."

Lily set out a sigh of relief and was now content on all she had learned.

Dumbledore paused a moment before looking at her intently, "Is there something else you'd like to tell me?"

A thousand things raced through Lily's minds that she could tell him: Sirius' death, his appearance, Harry. Instead, she kept silent.

"No sir, nothing."

(A/N: Like mother like son…or something like that)

So Dumbledore smiled warmly, stood up, and walked over to her. "Thank you Miss Evans for coming here to talk to me. I appreciate it, and you have given me something to think about."

"Thank you Professor for listening to me," she said rather timidly.

He nodded, and Lily knew it meant she had to leave now. She stood up, gave a little wave, and walked through the two offices and out of his office. Her mind was contemplating everything he had said, wondering what could have possibly been real and what was just her imagination, if anything. Harry, the boy, he must have been real. Sirius' death was absolutely astonishing, out of the ordinary, and not the way she would have imagined it. That must have been her mind twisting something up, as Dumbledore had said.

She was so deep in her thought, that as she passed the gargoyles, when a small pink house elf appeared in front of her and tapped her leg, she jumped back slightly in shock.

"I am sorry, Miss Evans, for bothering you." The house elf quickly apologized, feeling extremely guilty now.

"Oh, its fine! My fault really, no need to apologies." Lily brushed it off and smiled.

The house elf gave an appreciating smile, and continued, "The Headmaster send me up here to Miss Evans to take her to her room."

Lily noticed the house elf was wearing a rather dirty but nonetheless decent looking cloth over its bare, dry skin. Its ears were larger than its head, and the eyes were big and watery, showing every detail of any hint of emotion to enter its mind. Guessing by the voice, Lily decided it was a female and upon calling it 'Miss'.

"Thank you Miss." Lily grinned, as the house elf stared at her in astonishment.

"F-Follow me!" She squealed with delight and quickly hopped around, and proceeded by weaving in and out of the tables of the Great Hall (which was now being cleaned up by other house elves).

She felt rather tall, hopping through the bunch of busy working house elves, and had to walk slightly faster than normal pace to keep up with the breathless running elf.

They entered a door, went through a hallway, turned right, and where they would have gone straight to the Gryffindor Common Room, they turned to the right and continued down a narrower hallway. Trying to memorize where they were going by the landmarks, she took in every detail of the splendid castle. From the golden legs of the chairs, to the glinting crystals adorning silver polished frames. Statues, portraits, number of knights in armor stood in their place along the walls, where they would remain forever, no matter how old the castle got. It wasn't all a mystery to Lily; she had been through more of the castle than most students usually explored in. She soon realized she was walking in the hallway that was the home to the mirror with the obnoxious attitude. What she didn't know was that it was a long, long hallway that was the end and meeting points of smaller pathways.

Smiling that she had figured out another piece to the mystery of how this castle worked, she hurried up a little so that she was walking next to the running elf. The elf came to a complete stop and turned to face a large, marble statue of a magnificent horse. In a squeaky voice, the elf spoke the password, 'Aries'.

Still at awe at the fine details of the marble horse, she was overcome when it glided over to the left slowly on command. It revealed a hole in the ground, big enough to fit your hand in comfortably, but small enough to not stick out if ever left un-opened.

Swiftly, the elf reached her skinny hand into the hole, gripped something firmly, and tugged backwards. She stepped off to the side as a plank of the wall lowered itself down quickly. It revealed thick, wooden steps leading upwards and connecting onto a larger set of stairs. The elf bowed is head and pointed inside.

"Thank you," Lily said, and made her way up the stairs as she heard footsteps scurrying away against the floor. If she had judged her accommodations on the stairs, she would have guessed it was a smelly attic with termites, moths, and crusty sofas. But don't judge a book by its cover: as she reached the end of the steps, she was greeted with two railings on either side of her. A gold and red bed lay in front of her with a red canopy overhead. To either side lay neatly two sofas, and, if possible, twice as comfortable as the normal sofas in the Common Room. A pale, fluffy, creamy white carpet covered the ground. To her right were all her clothes, already hung efficiently on hangers, and then two mirrors next to it. Then to the left was a mini-library, with space where some of her own books had been placed. A small beanbag chair was positioned in the middle of the small library, and a desk lay next to it with papers and quills all ready to go. What made her smile was her hawk, who got her own little corner in the room.

She loved it. Loved, loved, loved it. Perfect, perfect, perfect. She was just about to go jump on the bed, when James opened a door she hadn't noticed before.

"I see you like it! Don't these rooms rock?" He said enthusiastically as he looked around her room.

"You know they do! And why are our rooms connected?" She then said hesitantly and got off the bed to go see how this all worked.

James shrugged, "We can get back and forth through the door, but both sides have to be un-locked. And we share one bathroom, but we have separate doors for that."

Lily sighed and patted his shoulder, "Lovely, we get to share a bathroom."

James laughed and was about to turn away when he remembered something.

"Oh…have you seen the surprise?" He asked knowingly.

"Uh, what?" Lily asked, very confused.

"SURPRISE!" The heavy force of Leah flinging herself on top of her back knocked down Lily.

"Dear God, I would give you a hug and ask you what the hell you're doing here, but my back cant handle it." Lily mumbled while on the floor.

"Well…." Leah started happily, "I GET TO STAY IN A ROOM NEXT TO YOURS!"

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Lily shot up straight off the ground, and her blown out back magically mending itself.

"YES!" Leah screeched, and James, still watching, rolled his eyes.

"HOLY SHIT!" Lily gave her a hug then asked, "How?"

"I asked Dumbledore if I could stay in a room next to you or something, because I'm a lonely girl with no other friends who was had orders not to go near some certain girls even if THEY attacked me first!" Leah said fiercely while maintaining a fake grin on her face.

"That's great!" Lily grinned at the perfection of it all: her best friend "living" right next to her.

"I know! Oh, Lils, have you seen the rest of the place?" Leah asked, turning to her.

"No."

"Neither have I." James added, as he had been watching the reunion the whole time.

Leah looked up at him and then to Lily, "I'll give you guys a tour, starting with James' room."

So, they stood up, left down Lily's stairs, and began the tour from in front of James' portrait. James' room was basically the same layout; except it was already decorated with more things and he had about a billion more belongings. A few Quiditch posters were already tacked up on his wall, and his trunk with personal belongings was over-flowing with notes and plans for devious pranks. They took a door, which was located by the bed, which led into the bathroom. Large and impeccably clean, there was two of everything. A thin, almost see-through silky maroon curtain that could be moved back and forth divided it. The toilet flusher was golden, and to Lily's amusement, had the owner's name carved in delicately into it. That was the same for the sink handles, bathtub faucets, and shower tiles, ECT. Where the curtain clashed against the wall, yet another door stood there, waiting to be opened.

Behind that, was their small Common Room. Since it was for only two people (three in this case), it was just big enough to be cozy. It, too, had a few sofas, a large desk, a fireplace, and two doors leading to each person's room. Then, a door with golden lining stood directly in front of them. Leah opened it and came down, Lily and James curiously following behind her. They lowered themselves down the wooden stairs, which were obviously old but in good shape. It was a musty smell, but not disgusting. It was a short hallway, consisting of two doors on either side and one at the end of the hallway.

"What's this?" James asked, looking around the small room.

"Basically it takes you anywhere in the castle you need to go." Leah explained, "Each door leads to each common room, and that one right there," Leah pointed to the one on the far end, "is the door to my room. So Lils, you're going to have to walk quite some way to get to it." She smiled and continued.

"The rest of the doors lead to the common rooms. Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw," she said while pointing to their corresponding door. It was rather obvious which one was which, as there was a gold plaque with the houses name inscribed into it.

A mischievous smile spread to his face and plans that could only be formed by a Marauder sparked in his mind.

"Sorry James, you can't get through the door unless you're part of that house." Leah smirked and Lily laughed at him, as he straightened his grin to an innocent look.

"Dumb ass, we know what you were thinking." Lily rolled her eyes and gave the innocent looking James a "nice try" pat on the back.

"Come on, come on! I want to see you room!" Lily turned around pushed Leah forward, who opened her door reluctantly. She wasn't too sure she wanted James in her room, for some odd reason.

Leah, too, was already accommodated and had about as much stuff as James did. You could tell very obviously that she loved Freddy Mercury and that music ruled her life. Her schoolbooks where at the other end of the room, also piled high.

"Very nice!" Lily said looking around, impressed.

"Yep," Leah clapped her hands together, "not as fancy as your guys' rooms, but great for me!" She grinned happily and looked at them.

"So are the Head Boy and Girl satisfied with their tour?" She asked sweetly.

"Very, dearest Leah." Lily winked and laughed.

"Now," Leah said, "If you don't mind, I'll be getting my pajamas on. So, if you guys would please go out?" She shooed them out of the door and shot a smile as she closed the door.

Lily and James, with no intention of getting ready for bed, sat down on the sofa of their common room leisurely, relaxing after the busy day they had.

"Wanna know what's sad?" Lily asked James thoughtfully.

"What?"

"When this day is over, that's one less day we have of Hogwarts. Soon it'll be over…" Lily sighed and rested her head on her arms.

"Don't think of it that way, think of it as one more day we've had at Hogwarts." James tried; he really didn't not want to think about life after Hogwarts. So he shook it off, knowing as long as it wasn't now he had to face it, it was fine.

Lily smiled at him for his consideration, "You're right, thanks. But anyway, we should still make it a great day. Want to go to the Common Room? I'm sure everyone is still up."

James eagerly agreed and, after letting Leah know where they were going, left quickly to join the rest of their friends.

The door led them right in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, and disappeared behind them once it was closed. It was incredibly confusing, but Lily was certain she would get used to it after she used that method of getting around the castle. They approached the Fat Lady, and James was getting ready to say the password out of habit but then realized: he didn't know the password.

Their meeting had taken them so long that they had missed the part where they told their houses their passwords; therefore they had missed it, too.

"Umm...Evans, do you know the password?" James said, now feeling very stupid.

Lily was about to insult his stupidity when she remembered that, she, too, had not the dimmest idea of what the password could even be!

"Uh, no." She finally spoke, her tone calm and intelligent. The intelligent tone made up for the fact she was the Head Girl and she didn't know the password.

"We're smart." James admitted sarcastically and sighed in exasperation.

"Excuse me, Fat Lady?" Lily spoke up to the portrait. Usually, calling anyone a Fat Lady was a horrible way to get the password, but in this case, it was the only way Lily could think of addressing her.

The Fat Lady, obviously annoyed that they had chosen that specific name for her, rolled her eyes and asked, "What do you want?"

"Well, as you may know, we're the Head Boy and Girl," she pointed to James and herself then continued, "And you see, we were discussing personal business with Professor Dumbledore, therefore we missed what the opening password was to the Common Room.

The Fat Lady began to smile, and tried to muffle down a roar of laughter by pressing her large hands over her mouth. "Oh, My. I see! Well, there's nothing I can do for you I'm afraid."

Lily's mouth opened in shock, "But we're the Heads! Please let us in! We don't even know how to change the password! Dumbledore forgot to explain it to us!" She pleaded.

She chuckled again, "I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do! And, that was Professor McGonogall's job, not Dumbledore's! After she dropped off the kids here, she ran back quickly to who knows what! She was in such a hurry though! My friend in the corridor to your right, she told me that-"

"Hey guys!" A voice from behind them greeted, interrupting The Fat Lady's informative gossip. "Weird passage, ay?" Leah said as the door disappeared behind her.

"Yeah! I'm sure we'll get used to it though." Lily added. Then James, itching to get in, quickly cut in. "Leah, what's the password?"

Leah began to chuckle and said through her wide grin, "Oh the Irony!"

"Is that the password?" James asked eagerly.

Leah shook her head, "No, stupid. It's Fiddlegus Fungus." They raised their eyebrows. "Don't ask." She stated as The Fat Lady gladly opened her doors to them.

As they stepped over, they were greeted by the site of familiar faces, plus a few new ones, all gathered in one room, laughing and joking and saying hello after a summer of being apart. There were some people on the couches; some gathered around tables, some in the corners of the room, some on the stairs, some in front of the fire. Scattered around like stars, the air was damp in joy and chatter.

"I'll never grow sick of this," Lily whispered to James and Leah, who both nodded. They were walking forward slowly, to find out where their friends lay.

"Hey James! You guys!" It was Sirius, waving his hand franticly in a sea of bodies…mostly girls, all around him. James' smile lit up and he walked coolly over to them. Leah and Lily exchanged glances.

"Should we go over there?" Leah asked hesitantly. Really, their only friends or acquaintances were the Marauders.

Lily shrugged, "Lets just go, something interesting might happen. We'll never know."

They walked up together to the crowd who was talking together excitedly, or rather; James was talking to the crowd of girls who were listening excitedly.

The seating arrangement was like this: There were two couches, forming an L, and then a table in front of them. Sirius and James (who was given space as soon as he had come) were in the middle of one of the couches, with their feet posted on top of the table. Remus was seated comfortably on the floor next to them, and Peter sitting on left arm of the sofa. The rest of the space was filled up with seven girls. Five were seventh years, one was a sixth year, and one was a fifth year.

James was currently talking about his summer when Lily and Leah approached them. Remus, Sirius, and James (who was still talking) waved at them. The girls just looked up, some in shock, some in disgust. Ignoring them, they both sat on the floor by Remus, Leah leaning closer to him.

"Hello there girls!" Sirius grinned at Leah and Lily and poked Lily's head with his foot.

"Oww Sirius!" Lily said playfully, turning around to look at him and slapping his foot.

"Girls, say hello." James ordered to the other girls, who were staring at them.

"Hello…" They said in unison, reluctant, only done because James had asked them to.

James seemed pleased with this, and quickly leaned forward to ask Remus something, "Hey, Rem, are you-"

He stopped mid-sentence and began to grin like a wild dog when he noticed Remus had no clue what was going on, as he was busy kissing Leah, who seemed incredibly content.

"Oh yeah! Get your girl Moony!" Sirius shouted playfully at his friend, who stopped what he was doing, smirked, turned around quickly and smacked Sirius upside the head.

Leah was laughing silently, her cheeks red and biting her lips.

"Nice one, Leah." Lily winked at her friend, who laughed and looked away in embarrassment. Oh, how Lil adored making fun of her friends.

Remus returned to his position on the floor, with a funny smile on his face, biting his tongue. Leah wiped a strand of brown hair from her face, trying to act as if nothing had happened.

"So," Amy said, looking down at Leah with her cat eyes, "how long have you two been dating?" She asked curiously and tossed her hair over her shoulder. She raised eyebrows and looked down at the couple in a snobby manner. All the girls nodded their heads, eager for some gossip.

Leah looked un-certain, rather hesitant, as she spoke, "Well…"

She looked over at Remus, who shrugged, "For about two weeks?"

Content with that answer, Amy let out a sigh of relief, "Oh good! Not that long! I thought you guys were like-"

She stopped her sentence when she realized The Marauders, Lily, and Leah were waiting for her to finish the sentence expectantly.

"Oh," she beamed a fake smile, "never minds, and congratulations." She didn't look happy for them, in fact she looked away and pursed her lips together.

There was a bit of tension in the air, and there was an awkward silence, where people gave each other glances, not sure of what to say. Finally, one of the girls began to talk excitedly about her summer break, and everyone except Remus, Leah, and Lily were listening. Lily was not listening due to the fact she found nothing interesting in what this stranger to her did last summer. Leah and Remus weren't interested because they were squeezing each other's hands, wishing they were alone.

Halfway through her detailed explanation of the girl's vacation, Remus leaned over and whispered something into Leah's ear. She grinned mischievously at him and nodded. His eyes began to sparkle, as did hers. Lily was the only person watching them as Remus and Leah stood up, still holding hands and began to walk away. Leah patted Lily's head as she left, running off with Remus through the crowds of people and out the portrait hole to do who-knows-what.

Lily rolled her eyes at the two lovebirds and then, to her disappointment, realized she was alone. She was alone with the chattering girls who never shut up, and two boys who, although nice, were acting like total jerks at the moment. So she sighed and laid her head back, and decided upon making it the best she could.

After a few minutes of hearing the girls talk, she couldn't take it anymore. She flipped around to face them and, in the nicest voice she could manage, said, "Ok, can we PLEASE do something else? I'm dying of boredom here, please, anything at all!"

James looked up at her as if he had just remembered she was there, "Well, why don't you and Leah go do something?"

Lily sighed desperately and pointed to where Leah and Remus had been sitting before, "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but they ran off a while ago!"

Everyone turned to look at their empty spots, and for some reason was surprised that they would just leave them like that! Lily snorted, "They were bored, so they left. Now I'm bored, and I don't have any place to go! So can we play exploding snap or something?"

All the girls shook their heads; while Lily could tell Sirius and James wanted desperately to play, too. She looked at them and raised her eyebrows in a way that said, 'Are you coming, or not?'

Sirius, who could not control himself for a Sickle, stood up (making the girls leaning on him stumble forward) and followed Lily to another table. They looked back at James, who was standing there shocked, all alone now. Peter was torn in the decision of going with Sirius or staying with James.

"Thank you so much for doing something, Lils!" Sirius whispered to her as they walked away to a table, "They were killing me, I swear…"

He let out a sigh of relief and sat across from Lily as she began to deal the cards. "Ah, you're welcome. Why won't James come though? Seems like he could use some saving."

Sirius shrugged, "No clue, but I'm sure he'll end up here sooner or later."

Lily nodded, "I would have expected one of the girls to drag you back to keep you from going!"

"To tell you the truth, so did I, but sometimes they're not that obsessive. And plus, being the first day back to school and all, they just need to catch up with each other." Sirius began to shuffle through his cards, when James came running up to them, panting desperately.

"C-c-can I play?" He said through gasping breaths.

Lily looked at him suspiciously, "Fine. But next time, if you don't come when I ask you to, you're not playing."

James nodded an approval as Lily pulled up a wooden chair for him, and he sat on it gratefully.

"So, what stopped you from coming here in the first place?" Lily asked as she, for the second time, dealt out the cards.

James shrugged as he took his cards in to his hands, "I was shocked that Sirius left, I mean, him, turning down the opportunity to be surrounded by hot girls. It took me a moment to recover and then realize I didn't want to be surrounded by them, either."

"What about Peter?" Sirius asked curiously, noticing their pudgy friend was not tagging along.

James shrugged, "He said he had something to take care of, then he left through the portrait hole. That sort of caught me by surprise, too."

As she was shuffling through the cards, Lily tried to hide the look of un-comfortableness and slight anxiety as they talked about Peter. Normally, she would shake it off. A little odd, yes, but shake it off. But after the dream, everything she thought about Peter was suspicious and uncomfortable.

Lily nodded and looked at him strangely, "Right, whatever. Anyway, lets just play already!"

A lot of time passed, as people began to head upstairs, clearing out the crowded room. The fire began to burn lower and lower, until it was just barley there. After five rounds of this game, Lily and James slammed their cards on the table, giving up.

"You win Sirius!" James surrendered and tossed him a Galleon, which he fetched from the bottom of his pocket. Lily gave up a Galleon as well, and Sirius took it eagerly and stored it away in his pocket.

"It's been lovely doing business with you two." He smiled innocently, and Lily and James shot him a mock smile.

"You only won the bet because I messed up that one time. Other than that, I would have won!" James defended himself playfully, as Sirius hit him on the arm.

"God, what time is it?" Lily asked curiously, leaning back on her chair and yawning.

"Eleven PM," said a voice form behind them. They turned around to see Remus and Leah walking and in hand back to them.

"Where have you two been?" Sirius asked with a sparkle in his eye, and a knowing glace Remus' Hogwarts tie, that was loose and un-done.

"Eww Sirius, nothing happened like that!" Leah shot him a playful glare.

"Hey!" He raised his arms defensively, "I never said anything!"

"They just took a stroll…" Lily defended them and then cracked a smile, "and made out."

Leah opened her mouth as slapped Lily upside the head.

James laughed and then said, "Well, as much as I hate leaving you two lovebirds, we should start heading up soon enough, we have classes tomorrow."

Remus groaned, "No! God…they should give us more time to settle in."

"Agreed," Lily sighed. "But I guess there's nothing we can do about it. Anyway, I'm going to go get ready for bed, I'll see you guys later."

"Same here, I'll be back soon." James agreed, and they both sat up and retreated out the portrait hole and down their hallway to the Head's Dormitory.

"Today was a good day, I guess," Lily said, after a moment. "Coming back to Hogwarts and all, just getting settled again. It feels good."

James nodded his head as they strolled down the hall, "Yeah, I guess it was. Hogwarts always feels good. In the middle of the year, we really don't think how much we're going to miss the long detentions and droning lessons until we're gone."

"We take too many things for granted." Lily added as they arrived at her marble horse.

"Oh, can I just go in through your room?" James asked as he did a double take. "I'm too lazy, and it's quicker."

"Sure. The password is 'Aries'." She spoke to the horse, which moved to the side. She reached inside the whole, pulled the rope, and the staircase lowered itself.

James, obviously impressed by the look on his face, said, "That is so much cooler than mine! You just have to give my knight the password, he says some crap, and the portrait moves and you crawl through and up some stairs. Not that fun, really."

They climbed quickly up the stairs and arrived in Lily's room. She escorted him to his door, and when he was safely on the other side, she shut and locked the door. Taking her time, Lily walked over to her large wardrobe, picked out some random pajamas, and threw them on. As she was brushing down her wild hair when there was a knock on the door. Curious why James would be knocking, she scurried to the door and opened it. Instead of James looking back at her, and his room behind him, Leah was standing there with the Living Room behind her.

"Huh?" Lily said, incredibly confused. This door led to James's room, not the living room!

"What?" Leah asked curiously.

"Never minds" Lily gave up trying to figure Hogwarts out, it was just to incredibly confusing.

Leah shrugged, "Whatever. Anyway, are you going to go to bed yet?"

Lily shook her head, "Not yet. Have the rest of the guys gone up to sleep?"

"Yeah, they began to head up when I left."

"Well, just because I'm a dork, I'm going to go say goodnight to them!" Lily announced happily.

Leah shook her head, "Whatever suits you. Right now I'm really tired, so I'm going to go to bed. See ya tomorrow."

Lily winked, "Later. G'night darling."

Leah waved her hand goodbye as she walked out of Lily's room, closing the door shut behind her.

Turning around on her heel, she walked down the stairs, letting her hand travel gently down the railing. Coming forth into the hallway, she looked around to make sure no one was traveling down the hallways. She walked down the hallway boldly, feeling a sense of importance now that she was Head Girl.

_"Me? As Head Girl? I would have never guessed."_ Lily thought as she approached the common room. In fact, surprises had been springing out at her ever since she got that first letter from Hogwarts. First, she would have never guessed she even had potential for anything other than a C grade average. After the Hogwarts Letter however, and her first month, Lily's confidence rose, and she got A's and B's in all her magical classes. Then, Leah and Remus. Her friends, the most important thing to her. Looking back on all they had been through, it gave Lily yet another surge of importance when she thought that if it hadn't been for her, Leah would probably not have lived this long. And Remus, well, without Remus Lily would be a wreck, and probably never have met Leah. If her friends were taken away from her, that was the one thing that would drive her crazy. If they took away her belongings, her education, even her music if they must, but as long as she had her friends, any doubt of the future was comforted by the fact that they would always be there.

She smiled affectionately at just the feeling as she gave the password and climbed through the portrait and into the all-too-familiar common room. There was a group of fourth years talking in quick whispers in the corner, and they looked up quickly as she came in, but seeing who it was returned to their chatter. Taking no notice, Lily darted up the winding stairs and up to the fourth floor (which held the seven year boys' dormitory) and knocked on the door that clearly read "The Marauders Lair" in scraggly handwriting on a piece of old, worn, parchment. Lily smiled slightly, they would never change. Four signatures in scraggly writing below it read 'JameS, SIRIUS, PeTer, and Remus.' Then, in neater, slightly more mature handwriting 'Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs'

Not waiting for an answer, Lily threw open the door and walked inside, letting in a load of un-wanted light into the dark room. There were three bodies occupying the four beds, and only the one in the center sat up and spun around to look at their intruder. Lily, slamming the door behind her, hopped onto Remus' bed like a rabbit, and shook him awake, although that wasn't needed.

"What?" Remus groaned, slightly pissed his sleep had been disturbed.

"Just came to say good night!" Lily defended herself, and looked at the other beds, "Is Sirius asleep?"

"Yeah, fell asleep as soon as he landed on the bed." Remus chuckled.

"What about Peter?" Lily asked, trying to hide her hesitant voice.

"Asleep." Remus said, not noticing.

"Oh. Well, in that case," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "I have something to tell you."

Although no one could see, Remus raised an eyebrow and propped himself up and asked curiously, "What?"

Lily took a deep sigh, "Well, you know the dream I had at your house?"

Remus nodded.

"I had another one. Two more in fact." Lily found things spilling out of her mouth, even if she knew that the person who had contaminated her dream was lying in the bed next to Remus'.

"What happened in them? Are you okay?" His voice was marked with curiosity and worry.

She began to explain about the first dream, in more detail, and stopped at the part where Sirius was about to die.

"So anyway," Lily remembered what happened next in the dream. "Are you sure Sirius is asleep?"

Remus picked up a shoe and beamed it at Sirius' back, who only groaned and budged slightly, "Yep."

Lily leaned closer and whispered, "Remus, I saw Sirius die."

That was enough to send shivers riding up and down Remus' spine. Sirius…his best friend…someone witnessed his death? He looked at Lily through the darkness.

"Are you sure?" He double-checked.

"One hundred percent sure, Rem. I hated it." Her voice quivered for a moment, but she sucked it back. "And then the kid started running towards him, and you grabbed him and told him there was nothing we could to do save him."

Her voice was so low, the whisper so hushed, Remus' eyes widened and he shifted uneasily. HIM?

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have told you." Lily looked away.

"No, its fine." Remus said quickly, "Is that all that happened?"

Lily shook her head, "No, that was only one dream. The other one, the other one…. it was shorter. But it was so weird, sort of hard to explain. Well, actually, its incredibly simple, I just don't want to say it."

"Come on!" Remus coaxed.

"Are you sure?"

"YES!" He let his voice go slightly above a whisper.

Lily was about to tell him every detail, every single one, down to Peter being the one who did it all, but then, like she had kept something from Dumbledore, to her deepest regret, she kept something from Remus.

"I don't know who it was," Lily stated clearly before beginning, and gave a nervous glance to Peter's bed, listening to his breathing for a few moments. Too bad she didn't listen longer, she would have noticed it was not as deep, and not rhythmic. In the bed next to her, a liar, a traitor, lay listening to them and their every word.

"So, this person approached this torn down building in a black cloak. There was only one light, at the very top. So, this guy goes up the stairs and through the door. Its all torn down, old, abandoned, the usual kind of buildings that happen in nightmares. Except upstairs, there was this dark figure. The guy enters, and the dark hooded figure walks down. The boy addresses him as Lord Voldemort and bows down to him. Voldemort then, to make sure he was loyal, I guess, began to torture him with the Unforgivable Curses. Then, still, the boy somehow manages to gather the strength to bow down to him and pledges his service to him. It was sort of freaky, sort of weird."

Saying it out loud felt very strange, and Lily began to feel like a fool.

Remus raised an eyebrow, "That is certainly random."

"It sounds like it, doesn't it? But I think they're connected in some way…" Lily trailed off into their own thoughts for a few moments, sitting in the silence.

"Well," Remus said finally, "if you're going to get any sleep tonight, you better go."

Lily nodded, "Yeah, I think I'll go now. Thanks for listening, I don't know why, I just feel like I need to tell people." Lily gave him a warm, BROTHERLY, hug, which he returned.

"Tell me if something like this happens again." He told her, and she nodded as she slipped away, gave a little wave, and exited through the door.

He fell backwards onto the springy mattress, and the room returned to silence once again, and Remus eventually fell away into his dreams. All that time, however, one person lay there, watching the still darkness, aware of everything that was happening and being said. The dream, the last one, seemed all too familiar to him. So familiar, it reminded him of the event that had taken place just last Tuesday, and the newly branded tattoo engraved into his arm.

She knew. Lily knew the things she wasn't supposed to know. What else Lily was aware of, Peter couldn't guess. However, he did know one thing she didn't. Soon, Lord Voldemort, his master, would be delighted in hearing this story, and be even more delighted to do something about it.

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Holy shit, eleven pages! YEEAH! Hehe, anyway, thank you all SO MUCH for the reviews! You all make my day! I hope you liked this chapter, it took me forever to make it decent. I go over it about seven hundred times before I post it, so that's why its not that quickly put up. Anyway, okay, the time setting for them. Tell me if this makes sense, I'm going to make them pretty young, all right? Here's a time line:  
  



	10. Meetings At Midnight

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of JK Rowlings lovely characters, I just am an obsessed fan waiting and dreading June 4th. Amen._

_I'm such a stupid ass! Haha, I just realized in two of the chapters I wrote "Emerlad Eyes" instead of Emerald Eyes. Sorry for simple mistakes like that. If you think that I messed up with chapter orders or something, PLEASE TELL ME! I think i might have._

* * *

_Preview_

_He fell backwards onto the springy mattress, and the room returned to silence once again, and Remus eventually fell away into his dreams. All that time, however, one person lay there, watching the still darkness, aware of everything that was happening and being said. The dream, the last one, seemed all too familiar to him. So familiar, it reminded him of the event that had taken place just last Tuesday, and the newly branded tattoo engraved into his arm._

_She knew. Lily knew the things she wasn't supposed to know. What else Lily was aware of, Peter couldn't guess. However, he did know one thing she didn't. Soon, Lord Voldemort, his master, would be delighted in hearing this story, and be even more delighted to do something about it._

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**Chapter Ten: Meetings At Midnight**

James was lying down on a couch, reading a book intelligently, as Lily walked into the head's common room. Not quite tired, she plopped down next to him, and watched him for a while before asking curiously, "Watcha reading?"

Without stopping, James held up the book so she could read the title.

"Quiditch Through The Ages." Lily read allowed, and shook her head sadly. "Don't you read anything else?"

"No." He said bluntly as he turned a page.

"That's what I thought.," Lily said, waiting for him to say something exciting. When he didn't, she started up again, "Are you Quiditch Captain?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Congratulations."

"Thank you." He said this all in a monotone voice, not that involved in the conversation.

Lily looked at his tie, which she now noticed looked as if it had been yanked off, it was very loose. The first two buttons of his shirt were undone and was fitting lopsided on his shoulders. A grin spilled onto Lily's face.

"Who have you been shagging?" She said, her voice laughing.

James looked up for the first time from his book, a funny glint in his eye, "No one. Why do you ask?"

Lily laughed, "Take a look at yourself, you're a mess. Oh, and you've got some lipstick right over here." Lily pointed to his neck, and he looked down nervously and noticed the bright red marks.

"Oh," he chuckled, slightly embarrassed. "Mary. But I wasn't shagging with her."

"I see!" Lily said, sitting back expectantly, "Already hitting it off with some girl on the first day of school! My, my, you are a gentleman!" She said playfully.

James laughed, "I didn't do anything like that with her, we just made out in the broom closet."

Lily stuck her tongue out in disgust, "How many times have I heard you say that phrase?"

James kicked her lightly in the legs, "Hey, shut up. Mary isn't like all my other girlfriends!"

"If you want to call them that." Lily dodged a pillow being beamed at her head. "Fine, fine, so, what makes her so different?" She asked, sweeping her auburn hair behind her shoulders.

James looked thoughtful for a moment, "Well, she's sweet and nice, and if my past girlfriends were nice or not I really cant say. We never talked that much. Anyway, she's proud of her body and isn't a whore, and I respect that."

"Which is why you both made out in a broom closet."

He ignored her and continued, "She's not rushed into a relationship, she takes it slowly. It makes things fun."

Lily smiled, "Well its good you finally found yourself a girl that's not a complete whore. I thought you were going to have a horrible reason, but no, those are good enough. Now whether or not she is any of those things we'll have to see."

"Well I'm glad I have your input." James said half sarcastically. "I know I can trust you to tell me the truth when no one else will."

Lily nodded proudly, "That's what I'm here for."

They talked a while longer, about Head duties mostly, and came up with a suitable time for both of them to hold meetings. It was not until thirty to forty minutes later that Lily finally stopped their conversation to get some rest. James decided he was going to head to bed, too, since there was nothing else to do now. They waved each other good night and exited through their separate doors and into their separate rooms, and got into bed quickly. They both fell asleep almost instantly, both with a smile on their face.

Lily's deep sleep was disturbed by the ringing of her old-fashioned alarm clock placed next to her bed. She groaned, the ringing still shattering the silence of the new day. She rolled over and smashed her hand on top, and silenced it. It took five minutes for her to open her eyes, and forty-five to take a shower and get dressed. This was why she woke up at five thirty AM.

After magically drying her hair, she stepped out of the bathroom, where James was waiting impatiently to use it. "Why do you girls take so long?" James shook his head as he entered the bathroom.

"Hey!" Lily called to his back, "Its not because I'm a girl, but because I'm a lazy ass who loves baths, okay?" She retorted lamely at James, who laughed. "And you know, you could have just gone on the other side!"

"The thing is practically transparent," James said before closing the door, "I'm not going in!"

"Then that's your fault!" She said to the closed door. She sighed and decided to see if Leah was ready yet. She knocked on Leah's door, and waited impatiently for an answer. When there was none, she thrust the door open only to see Leah's bed empty and the blankets on the floor. She sighed and shook her head, calling her name incase she was in the bathroom. When there as no reply again, Lily decided upon looking in the Common Room.

As she entered the Common Room, she saw Sirius running down the stairs quickly, followed immediately by Peter. "Where's Leah, do you know?" Lily asked curiously.

Sirius looked like he wanted to say something, but ended up shaking his head and pointing to their dorm room. Curiosity got the best of her, and she stormed up the stairs and flung open the door to their room. It was dark, and she looked over to Remus' bed. He was laying down there, with Leah wrapped inside his arms. They were snoring away, and, Lily noticed, Remus had no shirt on. Leah was resting her head on his arm sweetly. Now, wishing she hadn't looked, Lily retreated looking disgusted. She walked down the stairs looking at the floor, and when she caught up with Sirius, they gave each other a knowing look.

It was one quarter through breakfast when Leah and Remus came running down the stairs to the Great Hall, both adjusting their ties and looking nervously towards the Gryffindor table. As they approached, Lily scooted to the side to make room for Leah, and on the other end Remus sat next to Sirius.

"So, did you guys have fun last night?" Lily tried to say casually, while James and Sirius and Peter burst into fits of laughter.

Remus and Leah laughed along with them, "Okay, it was not like that."

"Denial, denial." James sang out loud while he drowned his toast with jam.

"You COULD have done it somewhere else other than the dorm while we were there," Sirius informed them. "Its very rude."

Remus got a pink tinge on his cheeks, and Leah hid her head under he arms, laughing profusely.

"The bed in your room is bigger, anyway, Leah." Lily told her friend, whom burst into tears from the laughter.

"Oh-my-god!" Leah breathed through her laughter, "You're such a pervert Lils!"

"No she's not," James defended her, "she'll just tell you what no one else will."

"Exactly." Lily nodded as she stuffed her mouth with scrambled eggs.

Remus shook his head, and opened his mouth and was about to change the subject, when someone did it for him.

"Hi James!" An excited voice said from behind James, and they all looked around to see Mary standing there, her normal smile plastered onto her face.

"Hey!" James said back, now grinning just as wide as she was.

"Can I sit here?" She asked politely. James nodded, and she sat down next to him, leaning on his shoulder. "Good morning…" she flirted, kissing him on the cheek. James returned the greeting and she giggled.

"Mary, as a start of the year celebration we always go to Hogsmade, are you interested in coming?" He asked, and Sirius gaped at him.

"Jaaames!" Sirius hissed, and James shot him a glare.

"Come on Padfoot!" James whispered back, a pleading look on his face.

Sirius pouted back, James mirroring the pout, and when none of them broke, Sirius sighed, slightly irritated, and gave in, "Fiiiiine!"

Mary's face lit up, "I can go? Are you inviting me?" She giggled and leaned on his chest again, and looked up at him, "Of course I'll go sweetie!"

James smiled, "Good! We can all go, it'll be fun." He said reassuringly, putting an arm around Mary.

"James," Lily said, after finishing her breakfast, "we need to go hand the schedules out. You have them, right?"

He nodded and pulled them out of his book bag, and setting them on the table.

"Here, Mary," James gave her the purple stack of papers, "Can you give these out to your house?"

She nodded, and stood up to go to her table. Lily took half the Gryffindor papers and the Slytherin's, while James took the other half and Hufflepuff.

After everything was figured out and settled down, the remaining five minutes of breakfast was spent idly, not really doing much. After James kissed Mary goodbye, the Gryffindor seventh year ran off to Herbology.

"James! Why'd you invite her? You didn't even ask us first!" Remus scolded as they headed across the field.

Looking ashamed, James responded, "Look guys, I'm sorry! I didn't think you guys would mind. Its not like I'd bring any other girlfriend. If you want I can tell her that we cant do it."

"No," Remus cut in, "its fine. The six of us will go out some other time alone."

"The six of us?" Peter asked, usually it was only the Marauders.

"Well…I was thinking, since we've become actual friends now, that Lily and Leah could come." Remus said, hoping the others would agree.

"It's fine with me. But I still can't see how we became friends so quickly. I mean, it sort of was like we just started all over again." James commented, it was true!

"Well, with the whole dream thing going on with Lily, it would be a little weird if we were still enemies." Said Sirius.

Peter just nodded, going along with whatever they said. He did not want Lily or Leah, especially Lily, there. One, they were getting in the way of the Marauder's relationship as a group. (Or so Peter thought). Second, he could tell that Lily had suspicions that the cloaked figure was him. He saw the way she glanced at him when he was in the room, and the way she quickly covered up her face when he was mentioned.

"Is that okay Peter?" James asked his friend, noticing the look on his face. Peter looked up, "Oh, yeah. It's fine."

"Hey guys!" Lily called a while behind them, running alongside with Leah to catch up with them. They arrived, panting for breath and grinning wildly.

"Hey." The Marauders said in unison.

"Ready for another school year to begin?" Leah asked eagerly.

"No," Remus said, as he wrapped an arm around her.

They slowed down as they arrived to the greenhouse where they were too meet the first day. Lily let out a long, puffy sigh, "Here we go…"

You could always predict what would be the scheduled for the first day of school. The first day of every year was always the same routine: teachers giving detailed explanations of what they were going to do through the year. They made the students re-copy the notes they had scribbled in their notebooks for the past seven years. Materials were checked off and seating charts were filled in. So, not surprisingly, the students looked forward to the end of the day.

The six Gryffindors walked down the slowly emptying halls, as the population of Hogwarts made its way down to the Great Hall to eat. However, these six, instead of traveling down the large marble steps, took a right, and climbed up another set of stairs.

"She said if we just follow this hallway to the right, we'll come to a portrait of a large bird. Mary said she'd meet us there." James explained, as they followed behind him.

Sure enough, there was Mary waiting quietly with her usual smile upon her face. Her cheeks were rosy, and her smile grew (if that was possible) when she saw James walking towards her. "James!" She greeted, and walked over to him, still grinning broadly.

"Well, well, don't you look nice." James said, eying her black skirt and white tank top while she put her arms around his neck.

Mary laughed, "James!"

"Come on you guys," Lily interrupted, trying to keep her voice steady, "lets hurry up and go already!"

"This is going to be one hell of a night," Lily whispered to Leah, who nodded. "Lets just hope Mary doesn't last too long."

After a few moments worth of walking, James said to Mary, "Now, I want you to close your eyes. Don't you peek, I want this to be a surprise."

Mary closed her eyes expectantly, as she let James navigate her slowly to their destination. Taking the cue, Sirius ran ahead of the group to open the door. Very tactfully, Sirius came back and they walked faster towards the now open passageway, and slipped into the tunnel. James and Mary were in the back, James making sure to close the door behind him immediately.

"Open your eyes!" James whispered in her ear.

Opening your eyes wouldn't have made much of a difference, had it not been for Sirius wand illuminating the passage ahead. It was dark and the air was stale, the passageway made completely out of stone. The stairs were hardly carved out, and worn down from their many years of labor.

"Where are we?" Mary gasped.

Lily had asked the same question five years ago, when Remus had proudly taken her to Hogsmade after discovering the secret passageway. He gave Mary the same answer he had given Lily, "You'll see."

In four minutes time, they were climbing out of a trap door on the floor, and stumbling into the basement of Honeydukes.

((SP?)) You could hear the nightlife roaring outside, and they climbed up the stairs to the main floor as if they had been there all along.

"Aren't we going to get in trouble?" Mary asked, nervously.

"Nah." James waved it off, he had never, in all his years of sneaking out to Hogsmade, been caught.

"So," Leah asked, "where exactly are we going?"

"Jaspers." The Marauders said in unison.

"Restaurant in the west side of Hogsmade, our misfortune to be closed coincidentally during most Hogsmade visits. Most of it's customers are already graduated students, so you're not going to find many Hogwarts students in our year there." James explained as they walked through the alleys of Hogsmade.

"It has a normal casual restaurant part, and then a dance floor for us party animals!" Sirius said eagerly, as they approached a neon-lit up building.

"It actually looks like fun!" Lily said as they entered through the doors.

The seven clanked their jugs of Butterbeer together, giving a toast for the new and last school year. As Lily took a large sip from her drink, the creamy warmth felt and tasted so good as it washed down her throat.

"Mmm…" Lily sighed, her first Butterbeer in ages.

As they put their large, overflowing glasses back down on the table, a skinny waitress walked up to their table, "What can I get you all to eat?"

The seven of them had been sitting, eating, and joking for the past hour, having a great time in each other's presence. Although having Mary there made things rather uncomfortable for the other five, it wasn't as bad as they had expected. Remus, being the last to finish his food, pushed his plate aside.

"That was so good." Remus sighed delightfully.

"I know!" Lily exclaimed, licking off her chocolate covered spoon she had been eating her ice cream with. "I'm coming here all the time once we graduate."

"Hey, we still have to check out the dance floors!" James said, it obviously being his favorite part.

"Oh James! Lets go dance!" Mary exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

"Come on," James said, taking her hand as they stood up, "see you guys later!" He called back to them.

"Leah, wanna go, too?" Remus asked causally, and Leah laughed nervously.

"I can't really dance…" she chuckled.

"Oh come on!" Remus said, standing up and grabbing her hand.

"No, really, I can't dance." Leah protested as Remus ignored her, dragging her towards the dance floor.

"Really, she cant." Lily called to their backs.

She looked at the remaining people sitting around the table. Sirius was staring at a girl, his eyes traveling seductively down her body. In less than a second, he sprang up from his chair (making it shake).

"Sorry Lils. The ladies need me…" he said, lacing his fingers together and cracking his knuckles.

"S'okay!" Lily said, rolling her eyes at the typical Sirius. Now, the only person left was Peter, who was staring at her.

He looked away when he was caught staring, and said quickly, "Tell the guys I'll meet them back at Hogwarts." He stood up, grabbed is coat, and stalked down the alley off into the dark before Lily could answer. Where he was going, Lily had no clue. But something told her it was not back to the Hogwarts castle.

Now, Lily sat alone with herself, not really knowing what she wanted to do. Deciding on staying there, she rested her legs on top of the table and took another sip of her Butterbeer. Everything was so different this year, in the same way it had always been. It was very confusing, she couldn't even think of a way to explain it. She still wasn't popular, still hated by most the population of Hogwarts. The only difference was James and Sirius were now her friends, the MOST popular kids in school. How? Had it not been at least a month ago that they hated each other? How had they become friends so fast, why had they become enemies in the first place?

Remus, Lily decided, was the reason they were friends now. Although he had been preaching to both sides since they had met that if they only gave each other a chance, they would get along fine. Lily had attempted to be nice once, and they didn't take the offer. So, from then on, she hated them. Looking back, it was rather stupid. She had to admit, James and Sirius were great people and she enjoyed spending time with them. During the time she arrived at Leah's and now, they had spent plenty of time together and got to know each other. If only she hadn't hated them for six years, then things might be different.

And of course, James, who had found her at Remus' house. Lily felt blood rushing to her cheeks thinking about it, it was rather embarrassing. But, nonetheless, after that she couldn't say James was a total stuck up brat. He had done a good job of not asking her about it, or mentioning it around people, and she was grateful of that.

She dissolved out of her thoughts and became quite bored, sitting there doing absolutely nothing. Sighing, she sat up to go look for her friends. She might not be able to do anything, but at least she'd have familiar faces around there. The dance floor was quite full, she pushed through the crowd, looking at each face in hopes of recognition. She finally found a some benches, or chairs rather, where people were constantly coming to sit down to take a break, and others going back to the party.

"Hey Lils!" Remus was the first one to see her, and Leah immediately turned her head to wave at her and signal to come forward. Lily sat down, arms stretched across the bench. Leah wad dancing a lot better than the last time Lily had seen her dance, and Remus was practically a natural at it. It was a fast, upbeat song, and you could tell by the look on their faces, they were having a great time.

"Where's everyone else?" Lily asked, but her question was answered by Mary's squeal, and she then spotted them both dancing, not too far away from Remus and Leah. James, obviously, was very good at dancing, and Mary as well. Then, Sirius was dancing with a blond-haired-big-boob-fat-ass bimbo chic. She was dancing wildly, and Sirius looked absolutely delighted he was hitting it off with a girl about four years older than him.

"Why don't you find someone to dance with?" Leah suggested, as the song ended.

"No! Everyone here's a man whore!" Lily said, scrunching up her nose.

Remus sighed, "Well, I'm dead tired now. If you want, you can dance with Leah."

Leah laughed, "Yeah! Come on Lils!"

Lily grinned and went to join Leah on the dance floor, as another song came on. They joked around, not really bothering to dance correctly at any point in time. They went to fast on the slower parts and went to slow on the fast parts. They obviously didn't mind that much, because they were laughing when they finished the song, and went to sit down next to Remus on the bench.

"You two can really dance…" said Remus, shaking a head at his girlfriend and best friend.

"Hey! We were the best dancers out there on the dance floor." Lily said defensively, a smile curling up on her face. "But that was fun, I want to dance again."

One of her past boyfriends, Matt, had been a huge party animal. He had taught her how to dance, and although she didn't go to parties that often, it did come in handy when she did.

"Go get another dance partner, I'm dead." Leah said, closing her eyes and resting them on Remus' shoulder.

"Fiiine…" Lily said impatiently.

Before she got up, James and Mary made their way up to them, holding hands. "Enjoying?" James asked them, who all nodded.

"Jamsie, I need to go to the bathroom, I'll be back in five." She flirted, winked, and made shuffled her way through the crowd. James gave a small wave then turned to his friends.

"So, who were you dancing with Lily?" He asked curiously.

"Leah, but she died. Now I'm all aloooone!" Lily gave Leah a puppy dog face, who stuck her tongue out at her.

James nodded, and the next song began to play.

"Damn." They said in unison.

"I love this song!" Lily pouted, and James nodded. Sighing in despair, he looked to see if Mary was coming back through the crowd, but to his disappointment couldn't find her.

"Ok, Lils, wanna dance this one song? Real quick, because I am not going to sit down for this one…" James asked.

Lily shrugged and got up reluctantly, "Sure."

Somewhere Else

Peter hurried, dragging his battered, worn down too-large cloak behind him. The clouds had fallen like a light blanket over the moon, and just a small edge of light protruded from it. It was sprinkling, but you wouldn't be able to tell unless you stood in the same spot for a moment or two, as the rain it fell as softly as breath on your neck. The hairs on the back of Peter's neck prickled as he froze, looking downward, hiding his face from the innocent couple walking hand in hand down the side walk. It was crazy, the day he had chosen for the meeting. It was just screaming, "Look at me! I know a wanted man! Follow me and I'll show him to ya!"

The couple, with a quick, uncaring glance at Peter, continued on their nightly stroll through the winding sidewalk of Hogsmade. Peter sighed as he continued forward, finally stopping at one of the dark alleys, which was squeezed tightly between two old, battered shops that surely no one would be caught dead at. He stared into the darkness, and his heart began to beat faster and faster, twisted, confused thoughts spinning through his mind and making sweat of nervousness drip down his pink cheeks.

He finally agreed with himself, he would go through with this. It couldn't be that bad, now could it? He wouldn't feel guilty, this is what he wanted, wasn't it? It would help his mother, yes, which would make life for their small family a thousand times better. He dissolved into the dark, squinting ahead to make out what was in front. "Lumos," he muttered, and his wand flickered, and then let out a shiny yet dim light. Ahead was a black cat eating away the flesh slowly from a twitching mouse. Peter looked away, at the trashcans lining the brick wall, with useless junk and old memories seeping form the lids (As well as a horrible odor). He finally came to it, a brown box, damp with the rain. He pulled open the lid, reached inside, and took out a smaller, cleaner, cold metallic box. He opened that, too, and viewed an old muggle battery, lying plainly and lamely in the box. Any other person would have tossed it to the side carelessly, letting the battery roll away. But no, Peter instead reached inside, and with one more reassuring thought, touched the battery with one of his fingers.

The box fell to the ground, and everything around him dissolved as he was yanked forward…or was it backwards? His short hair flew back with the gust of wind, as a swirl of colors surrounded him. And his finger; a pudgy, small finger, still touching the battery, like two forceful magnets. Even with the un-easy feeling in his stomach, he was at least re-assured by the fact that he had in fact reached the Portkey without any problems.

He finally stumbled upon damp grass, his nerves tingling on the impact. The battery, now useless, fell to the ground. Peter's face was white with shock, and it took him a few moments of shaking it off to recover. He took off his coat, pulled out the hood, put on some gloves and then put it back on, quickly masking away any trace of who he was. No one, not one soul, other than his master, should know who he is.

It was a muggle village, wooden houses lined across the dirt-path that served to most as a road. The houses that were painted were chipped severely from the ages of attempted preservation. He walked confidently down the road, letting his eyes wander inside the houses. In one, he saw a little boy being tucked in by his mother, then kissed on the forehead as the lights went out. In another, he saw one candle, standing alone on the table as an old lady wrote scribbled letters by the dim light the candle let out. Something about it made him shiver inside. Peter sighed and continued onward, off the road and into the woods behind the houses. He snuck a peek at his watch, five till. He was just on time.

Fog seemed to be setting over them, shielding any stray wanderer from anything going on here. Peter was the last to arrive, and he walked up silently to the semi-circle of dark figures, mostly tall and lean, with their heads bent downward and hands linked together. He, too, joined them in this position, and they stood still for what seemed like five minutes. There was something evil, something apprehensive of this group. You could see not one person's eyes, nor their mouth, even a sight of their skin. They stood deathly silent, waiting for their moment to look up.

"So," snarled a hissing, cold voice, "you're all here. How delightful." The Death Eater's heads all looked up at him.

"They're just beginning to suspect," he laughed, "just beginning. They don't want to believe, but oh, they better. And they better fear me." This body was more visible than his followers. He, too, donned a black flowing cloak. However, his eyes were visible, as well as his sharp nose and pail skin in his face and hands. Peter looked at those hands, and imagined how cold they would feel wrapped around his neck….

Voldemort extended his hand, looking at it casually, "Ronald was annoying me. Trying to start something up, convincing everyone the murders had just not been accidents. You know, the ministry should have so much more protection in their buildings. I slipped into his office easily enough, and killed him. He was good, he didn't make a sound." Once again, his dark laughter boomed, sending chills up Peter's spine.

He stopped for a moment, and began to survey his followers. He walked up and down the semi-circle, looking at each person closely, as if he could almost see into his or her minds. Voldemort slowly walked up to a tall man (judging by the build) and stuck his wand up to his chest threateningly.

"You didn't show up the other day, where were you?" Voldemort sneered, hatred in his eyes.

"I-I-I-I couldn't leave, g-g-grandmother's funeral." He said, gulping, hoping the he was feeling kind enough to let him leave unharmed,

"Oh BOO HOO!" Voldemort yelled, exposing his yellowish, brown, rotting teeth. "I think I should teach you a lesson…" he raised the wand up towards his neck, and quickly withdrew it, "but I wont. Not today. Do not let it happen ever again, do you understand me? Or I WILL kill you. And don't doubt it." he snapped, and the man nodded vigorously and looked at the floor, ashamed.

He continued his close survey, looking into each person's dark cloak, like there was something else to be seen. As he approached closer and closer, Peter's heart pounded faster with every footstep. He began to sweat again, and the dark cloak wasn't helping. Voldemort approached him, yellow eyes shining brightly. You could never hide anything from Voldemort, which was Peter's first lesson.

He stopped abruptly in front of Peter, surveying him carefully.

"Well, well," he grinned harshly, "look who it is. So you did show up, ey? Tell us, why are you worthy? Why should I not kill you and toss you to the side? What can YOU do for Me?" He asked, and Peter hesitated.

"I…I'll be loyal to you. I'll tell you everything I know." He said quickly, looking up at him.

"Ahh…I see…and what do you know?" He tapped his fingers along his cloak, looking at Peter intently.

"W-well sir, I have news. Uh, this person I know. I didn't tell them anything, they said it was a dream. I overheard her talking to someone. She knows I joined. She knows your planning something, I don't know how much she knows though." He found himself speaking the words, and realized they sounded very different and suspicious coming from his mouth.

Voldemort laughed another dark laugh, "Oh, I see! And who might this person be?"

Peter, without thinking twice, spoke, "Lily Evans."

"Lily Mudblood Evans, ey? Yes, I've heard of her." He reached inside his coat, and attached to his pants, was a green marble cane with a silver serpent on top that Peter had not noticed before. Voldemort drummed it along the ground, then finally whipped around to Peter.

"Are you sure? Are you sure you didn't tell her?" He asked, and pointed a wand at his direction, "If you are lying, if you did tell, your punishment would be slightly less painful if you confess now."

"N-No, I did n-not tell her. I swear, my Lord, I did not tell. She said it came to her in a dream, she said-"

Voldemort put a hand out, interrupting Peter in mid sentence. "Yes, I know. Well then, do you think Miss. Evans would mind getting some mail?" All his minions echoed his laughter, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a parchment, envelope, and some ink. Peter wondered how he could fit all that inside his coat pockets.

"You," Voldemort pointed to a sturdy-built, wide man and signaled for him to come over, "turn around." He did so, and Voldemort began to write on the parchment, which was laying flat against the man's back.

"Dear Miss Evans, I know you know," he read aloud. "Don't deny it, you know perfectly well what I'm talking about. Tell me, why are you meddling in business that you should not be meddling with? As much as I am curious as to how much you know and why, that is not my main focus. The point is, you're not supposed to, and I believe we're going to have to do something about it. I'll send one of my," he paused, "solicitors over and you can have a nice chat. Signed, You-Know-Who."

Peter had to admire him, he had a confident, deathly, threatening sort of way he acted upon all his dark business. Cold, icy sarcasm had you reading between the lines. Instead of a normal sized letter explaining what he was going to do to her and why, he just wrote it out simply. Peter didn't stop to think about his friends, nor Lily, at any time. Now, he only thought about serving his master.

The man turned around, and Voldemort stamped the letter. In-between to fingers, he raised it up in the air, and a bony sparrow swooped down, taking the letter with it, as it flew off into the night.

"You," he addressed the man in front of him, "I want you to find that Evans and make her regret ever coming to Hogwarts. Comprehend?" He asked, and the man, under the dark hood, nodded. An un-seen grinned formed upon his face, oh, Lily would certainly regret ever boarding the Hogwarts Express for the first time seven years ago.

* * *

Alright, finally done with this chapter! I wrote a lot more, and realized I had too much, so I only posted some. I have another chapter ready I'll probably put up in a day or so. The timeline, its not that important, and yes its supposed to be AU. But I'm going to do what you guys said, have it take place in the 70's. Even though I know lots more about the 80's than the 70's, again, its not that important. Damn. There were these really cool things in my email about this Hogwarts RP site, but my stupid computer deleted it. DAMMMN YOU! YAY! It's my tenth chapter .Go me. I have this whole story planned out, its going to be pretty long. Or long enough. The end will have a lot of events. I might even do a sequel. Or start a new story. Yeah, I'm done. I'm always really very incredibly bored, so if anyone ever wants to IM me my screen name is xbehindthemoonx. Alright, later! And please please review! Tell me what you like and what you don't like, give me suggestions on how I can right better but if you want also say what you did like. Go harsh, but not so harsh it's a flame. Unless I deserve it. Then go ahead. Or just talk to me, I like talking to people. Ok, Now I'm really done. Later all. 


	11. You Know You Like It

**Emerald Eyes**

_Ok, so I'm REALLY stupid. On the SAME chapter that I wrote how stupid I was, i wrote 'Preview' not 'Previously'. Wow. _

_Disclaimer: I'm stupid! SO THEREFORE I DONT OWN ANYTHING! Hehe. I like being broke_

* * *

_Previously_

_The man turned around, and Voldemort stamped the letter. In-between to fingers, he raised it up in the air, and a bony sparrow swooped down, taking the letter with it, as it flew off into the night._

_"You," he addressed the man in front of him, "I want you to find that Evans and make her regret ever coming to Hogwarts. Comprehend?" He asked, and the man, under the dark hood, nodded. An un-seen grinned formed upon his face, oh, Lily would certainly regret ever boarding the Hogwarts Express for the first time seven years ago._

_

* * *

_

**Chapter Eleven: You Know You Like It**

The remaining six climbed slyly through the trap door on the floor and once again into the dark chamber. Tired and worn out, they rushed to get out and soak into their soft beds.

"So, Peter said he'd meet us back at Hogwarts?" Remus whispered, double-checking of his friend's whereabouts.

"Yeah, he probably got bored." Lily whispered back.

"Probably." Remus said as he pushed open the wooden door that let in a small stream of light as he opened it, and hopped out into the castle. After looking around to make sure no one was watching, Remus signaled forward and everyone popped out.

Leah yawned, and Lily leaned against the wall, completely exhausted.

"Guys, I'm gonna walk Mary back, okay?" James whispered back as she grabbed his hand and dragged him off.

After a moment of just sitting there, Lily pushed herself up from the wall with her elbows, "Come on, let's hurry up."

They absent-mindedly made their way towards the Gryffindor Common Room. The scene was all too familiar for them to think twice about it: sneaking out at the middle of the night and returning once again to the couches up at the Gryffindor Common Room. Lily and Leah had sometimes tagged along, to Remus' request, even before they were friends with James, Peter, and Sirius. Before Lily and James had become Head Girl, they had always, after an adventure, sneaked into the common room, grabbed some blankets, and slept on the couches. Then in the morning before anyone rose, they would climb out and get into their bed like nothing happened. Lily sighed, how she missed that. It sounded so simple, but it had really come a habit after countless years of doing it. And she coudltn believe she had never even become aquainted with Sirius and James after all those midnight wanderings. Then again, they had never really spoken to each other even then…

"Leah, " Lily called, grabbing the collar of her shirt right when she was about to turn to the Head Dormitories, "lets sleep in the common room tonight, okay?"

Leah looked at her and smiled at the memories, "Yeah…lets go."

"You guys really want to?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah, why not?" Leah shrugged as they turned down the hallway towards the portrait.

Remus grinned, "I'm sure James will find us easily."

Sirius walked up to the portrait, spoke the password quietly, and opened the large door enough so they could slide in. When they all had stepped over, they closed the door gently behind them.

Lily absolutely loved the common room; it was magnificent, yet simple. The golden colors always made her feel warm and at home. The fire that was always blazing soothed her nerves, and its warmth melted the snow off her hair during the long snowy winters. She sighed as she fell onto the couch, Leah following her suit on the other side of it. Sirius flew down the stairs with some blankets, tossing one to the girls and keeping three for him, Remus, and James (when he came).

"G'night." Lily said softly as she turned her head and covered herself with the soft, warm blanket. The soft pillow, familiar warm blanket, and warm fire put her to sleep instantly.

If anyone responded, she didn't hear it, and slept peacefully through the rest of the night. She might have had dreams, but they didn't bother her once. Even through Sirius' loud snoring, she somehow managed to sleep through it. Then, even before the sun rose up, large, warm hands shaking her shoulders shattered her comfort. Lily's only motive to open her eyes was to make whoever was shaking her to stop so she could then drift back to sleep. She groaned and whipped her hair out of her eyes and looked up to see James looking down at her, yawning.

"Lily," you could tell by his voice he was tired, "Come on, let's go back."

"No…" she sighed and tried to turn away from him.

"Yes, come on, Leah already left." James said impatiently as he rubbed his eyes.

"Fuck off." She said, turning briefly to hit him with a pillow.

James grunted impatiently, sighing and then grabbing her arm. "Come on, now."

"Stop!" Lily swatted him away with her hand, but failed as he grabbed her extended hand and yanked her off the couch and onto the hard floor, where she landed with a large thump.

"Shit!" She said in pain, now wide awake, "You didn't need to give me a brain injury to get me up, you know?"

James shrugged, "With you, it was my only choice."

Lily rolled her eyes and, realizing they were the only ones up, lowered her voice, "Lets hurry before anyone wakes up."

Back at the Head Dorms, Lily was fast asleep in her bed, she had found her drowsiness once again after she laid down. After two hours of sleeping in her bed, she found herself being awakened by the same face.

"What now James?" Lily sighed, her eyes still closed and head against the pillow.

"We're going to be late if you don't hurry up." Already dressed and showered, he hauled the load of covers off her body. James flinched and turned red, while she didn't, still with her eyes amazingly closed. Lily was wearing a slightly large shirt and visible purple underwear. She apparently didn't care much about it, but James turned around due to the awkwardness he felt.

"Just go without me, I'll meet you guys up in the Great Hall." She waved him off.

"If you're not at the Great Hall in fifteen minutes I'm sending Sirius over here to get you." He threatened before shutting the door on his way out.

Not wanting Sirius near her at these precious, early hours of the morning, she reluctantly sat up, hopped off her bed, and dragged herself over to the wardrobe and quickly got dressed, not bothering to take a shower.

After brushing her teeth, washing her face, and brushing her hair, she still felt tired and completely worn out. Lily stumbled as she fished her flip-flops onto her feet and walked down the steps. Then halfway down the stairs, she remembered what she had forgotten. Lily ran back up and snatched her bags, and continued on. Quickly checking her watch, she glided and slipped through winding hallways not stopping for the slightest thing. Obviously, she was panting profusely by the time she reached the stairs towering above the hall.

"Lils, you got an owl." Leah tossed Lily a letter as she sat down.

"Thanks." She tarred open the envelope and dug out the letter. Her face changed to tired look to a confused face after she read it quickly.

"Leah, read this," she whispered to her and passed the letter to the side.

Leah also read it quickly and was very surprised by the bluntness and….well, you just don't really except these kinds of things in the mail.

"What do you know?" Leah asked.

"About Peter…" she trailed off, and then stuffed the letter into her bag when Mary came over to join them. She'd look it over later, yeah, that was it.

The rest of the day continued much like this, late and tired, breathless and annoyed. One of those days the only thing on your mind is what you're going to do when you're done with this. She had already forgotten her quills back at the dorms (she had to use Leah's) and was caught zoning out by Professor McGonogall. And she had thought today was going to be easy! It was like every other first or second day of school, except for the fact she was dreadfully behind on everything.

"Lily!"

She jumped at the sound of her name, and broke away from her distracting thoughts to look at James.

"Class is over already, we have to go to the Prefects meeting!" He said, picking up all his books.

"Right." She sighed, bending down to collect all her textbooks. Swinging the bag over her shoulder, they exited together.

"Where are we holding the meeting again?" Lily asked, she had been told that information, too. But, like so many other things today, she had forgotten it.

James looked at her, she had seemed rather un-focused and distance today, "The Meeting Room, don't you remember?"

Lily sighed and shook her head; "I have been just so damn out of it today! I've never even heard of that room"

"We all have our bad days." He shrugged, reaching the stairs, "It'll get better soon enough."

"I hope so." She muttered and followed him over to an old-looking hallway with plenty of portraits from when the school had been made.

"This is the Meeting Room," the said, signaling to the door, "I'm pretty sure Remus has brought you here before, am I right?" James asked as he walked up to a wooden door with a handle that could have very well been a doorknocker.

"Oh yes, this one?" Lily nodded, seeing the doorknob, "This is a good place, but are you sure everyone will know where it is?" She asked at James, and then pulled open the door.

Her question was answered by an explosion of chatter that grabbed her attention immediately as she opened the door. Very clearly everyone knew where the Meeting Room was. Before stepping up in front of them for the beginning of the meeting, she quickly took a head count to make sure everyone was here.

"Okay, all here," Lily whispered in James' ears, "You talk first."

"No! We agreed you would go first, now come on," he said, pushing her forward slightly.

"I'm nervous! I was never even on speaking terms with 90% of the people here, what the hell makes you think that they'll listen to me?" She said turning around, frustrated.

"Because you're the Head Girl and they have to listen." He said, their voices now somewhat raised.

Lily glanced at all the people. She felt incredibly pathetic almost instantly, there wasn't over fifteen of them yet her heart was pounding hard enough you'd suspect she was going to jump into a tank full of sharks. In comparison, Lily briefly thought, the sharks might be better.

"Go." James ordered, then stepping back and folding his arms showing her he wasn't going anywhere.

She gave him a hesitance 'thanks-for-nothing' glance and took a deep breath before asking for silence with a spark of her wand. It came to her as a shock when the voices stopped talking and they turned to look in her direction. Their faces easily demonstrated reluctance in listening to anything she had to say, but they none-the less waited her to begin talking. Yes, even the ones who had, not a year ago, made her life living hell. Especially Malfoy, who she noticed was leaning over to talk to a Hufflepuff girl seated closest to them. Which was interesting, because he never talked to Hufflepuffs.

"Anyway, as you all know, this is the first official Prefects meeting." She said nervously, fidgeting her hands subconsciously. "We will let everyone know the date of each meeting so you can plan your schedule and such. We wont take any more than fifteen minutes of your time, don't worry." She sighed quietly and looked at James for a moment, who was grinning at her.

"Right, first things first. It's been different year-to-year dealing with rounds. Each night we're going to have two Prefects do rounds from 11 PM to midnight. To pick out what days you'll be doing rounds, James has a hat over there with two dates written on pieces of papers." She waved her hand in his direction, and In less than a second, everyone was watching him (especially the girls). Yes, they listened to him very intently when he spoke. The girl sitting closest to him (the one Draco had been whispering to earlier) even began to apply some lipstick innocently to her lips. Turning her head to see his reaction to this, she realized he did not pay the slightest attention to anything the girls were doing. Except one girl, that girl being Mary. He was speaking to everyone, but his eyes watched her distinctly. Lovely, just lovely, Mary was a Prefect. Thank God Lily didn't see her before, she might have run away right then. She didn't like the way James was looking at Mary. She didn't know why either, it was just one of those un-explained, quick pangs of emotion that left as quickly as they came.

"Does anyone not have their dates?" Lily heard James say finally, and she snapped out of her thoughts. "Good. You're all free to go now." He dismissed, and they all returned instantly to their own lives, chattering away as they left the room. Mary of course, with a kiss on the cheek. He had a silly grin on his face when she left. Except that one Hufflepuff girl, Elisa must have been her name. She was walking up nervously to Lily, tapping her on the shoulder.

Lily whipped around, and gave a sigh of relief when she saw it was only her. "Hello, do you need something?"

"Yeah, actually. Since you and James have rounds tonight, I should tell you. I've been told there's going to be some trouble makers up there, trying to start something up. They're in the room on the left in the Astronomy Tower. But please, you didn't hear it from me." Elisa begged.

Lily looked at her strangely, she knew from experience Elisa wasn't one to crash a party, "Alright. I'll tell James."

"Don't, please. If you don't mind me saying, I don't think they'll really take James seriously if he tells them to stop partying." She said, passing her hand through her curly brown waves of hair.

Lily smiled slightly, "Alright. Thanks for telling me."

"Ok." Elisa said before walking away without a glance back.

Awkward. Sort of random, too. And suspicious, of Elisa, not of these 'trouble makers'. She shrugged and turned around to see James waving Mary off.

"Oh God I thought it was going to go horribly." She admitted, walking up to him.

"It wasn't that bad, was it?"

"Not that bad, but not great either. Do you see how those girls apply make-up every time you talk?" She said, laughter in her voice.

James shrugged and smiled at her, "Nah, I learn to ignore it after a while."

They then began to clean up the room in silence, folding up the chairs and straightening up the large mess that had accumulated in such a small amount of time.

"Did you notice how nice Mary looked?" James asked randomly as he landed one chair on top of another.

Lily laughed and stopped what she was doing to look at him, "No. I don't notice those kind of things"

"Oh, right." James said awkwardly, knowing just how stupid he sounded. "I forgot you were a girl for a second." Truth was he hadn't, but she was like any other friend, and they were all guys. All the girls he had been acquainted with eventually became his girlfriend, then his ex, and so on.

Lily burst out laughing, shaking her head at his dim observation skills, "Well that's what happens when you spend all your time obsessing over small-minded girls, James. You forget."

"Mary isn't small-minded!" He argued.

"Look at you!" She said, not accusingly, just observationally. "You think you're in love-"

"I'm not in love!"

"Fine," Lily corrected herself, "You're not in love, you're just infatuated. Alright, you're infatuated with a girl you hardly know, what's so special about her? Yes, she's pretty. So are the rest of the girls. Yes, she's…smarter than some. That doesn't mean she's worthy, James. Do you really think she's so different?"

Stubborn tendencies led James to not thinking too much of what she had just said, "Because she really is! She wants to take things slowly, and she's nice. I've already told you this, and we've already discussed it countless times."

"I'm never convinced easily, I think too much. It makes me doubt things. That's not always good, either. Plus, I bet a lot of the other girls were nice, too. This is just the first girlfriend who showed you her soft side before her breasts."

Smack.

"James! I don't mean she's a bad person, I'm just saying don't get to crazy over her and think this is different when it just might not be."

"I see what you're saying. But I still find that comment about breasts very offensive, Lils."

"Sorry. But it's probably true." She added in.

"No, actually!" He corrected. "Ok, so I have slept with my fair share of girls. But it's a lot less than everyone thinks. Not even half, or one quarter of my past girlfriends I've slept with. Like….only five."

((A/N: Yeaaah…only))

This caught Lily's attention, and she raised an eyebrow, "Really? I never knew that." She smiled slightly.

"Really. And not too many people do know. It sucks sometimes, actually, having a reputation like that." James admitted, and with a finish, moved the chairs back into the closet. A few moments of silence passed before it was broken again.

"You know what?" Lily blinked, "We could have used magic for all that." She tried not to sound like she had done something stupid.

"You know what? You're right. We're idiots." James said, and quickly looked around to make sure no one had witnessed this.

"That's okay. Nobody has to know." She whispered, dismissing it quickly and sweeping past him into the hallway. "Come on, let's go back."

Everyone spent a long while doing the homework they had already been assigned on the first two days. It was a surprise they finished in an hour, then again, it was a surprise their potions professor had given them homework. "Welcome to your last year at Hogwarts, it's going to be tough," Is what he said, right before slamming down a long worksheet on their desks.

And it was tough, alright. Tough watching the younger kids talking and running around homework-less while you had to work your ass off on stuff you'd never need later on in life. But they were done soon enough, and spent some time doing whatever teenagers that age like to do. Eleven o'clock rolled around soon enough in the Head Dorm's, and Lily and James were the first to make rounds. They started on one side of the castle and ended up in another, which, if you know how, didn't take that long.

"Rounds are so pointless," Lily yawned as they dragged themselves along the hallway.

"Tell me about it. " James sighed.

"But I did get a tip from someone that there was going to be something going on in the Astronomy Tower. I doubt it though, probably driven by an old childhood revenge or something, probably isn't that bad. But we might as well check anyway."

"Right. But we have time, its on the other side of the castle." He sighed, exasperated, and began to look at the walls with a boring glance.

Determined to strike up conversation (for the sake of their sanity), Lily began "So what are you doing for Winter Break?"

James chuckled, "How the hell are you already thinking about Winter?"

Lily shot him a look that made it rather obvious.

"I'm going to go back to my house, my parents are very family oriented. Remus and Sirius always come for at least some time, Sirius stays 24/7 unless he's at a girl's apartment. You and Leah can come for Christmas this year, if you guys want. We've got plenty of room."

"Really? That'd be really fun! And you live with both your parents right?"

"Yeah. You'll love them, they're really nice. I look almost identical to my dad, we've got the whole Potter charm going on." He winked at her playfully, and she laughed.

"That ego never went away did it?"

"No. Sort of. Just a little. Yes, it went away."

Lily smiled slyly, "Right James. You think about what you just said while I go up to the Astronomy Tower real quick, okay?"

James gave her a mock smile and leaned against the stone wall, waiting for her. She looked back at him before hopping up the flight of stairs that lead to the isolated tower, which was occasionally used for the older students during Astronomy or for their homework. But, more commonly, it was the place where romantic couples went up to have some "fun". It was quite annoying when you were trying to work, really.

Where was it? Ah, yes, room on the left. She went through the doorway into the tower, which had glassless windows overlooking the viciously dark Forbidden Forest. The door on the left was closed shut and tight, she couldn't open it on her first try.

"Shit," she said as she fished out her wand and quickly unlocked it.

The door knob jiggled open and she stepped into the dark room.

"Hello?" She said softly, she could see nothing in the dark in front of her. "Hello?" She repeated, this time with more confidence.

When no one answered, she stepped forward and extended her wand cautiously. Behind her, the door slammed shut, leaving her with no light at all.

She turned around, or what seemed to be around, and tried to find the doorknob with no luck. A tingling sensation on her neck, which she soon recognized as fragile breathing, made her take in a breath of the stale air. She stuck out her wand.

"Lum-"

"Lisencio!"

A purple spell that Lily recognized as a muting spell shot out and hit her, sending a numbing feeling through her throat. With failed attempts to blurt out any sounds, she spun around trying to see who else was there. Maybe this was a joke James was playing on her. Regardless of that not-so-comforting thought, she was breathing heavily, now standing in one position waiting for whoever was in the room to show their presence. But it didn't happen for some time.

A cold hand, a scrawny, bony hand, touched her finger softly. She reacted quickly, moving away to the right into the other spot of darkness.

"Lily…" mangy voices whispered so softly she could barley hear it. "Lily…Lily…" The way the voice repeated her name over and over again sent shivers down her spine. Again, she moved away, but not being able to tell where she was moving made it hard for her. She stepped backwards, and her shoulders brushed into the cold corner.

The hand….she could now feel two, touched her shoulder very lightly and then pulled back. Lily could feel him there, the way you could hear someone when they were looking over your shoulder, and the heat you got from someone's body when they grabbed you. It was now she wished desperately she had her voice back, but she was sure that even if she had it, she could not find the courage to use it. These situations, the ones that sent sweat dripping down your forehead and paralyze you with fear, they always seem so fake. But, Lily could now tell, once you experienced something even slightly similar, you'd understand. You cant find the common thought of defense when your mind was twisting, swimming, with fear and suspense.

"Lily…" the man said one last time, and played with one of the curls in her hair.

Oh no, Lily thought. She knew how this would end; she knew what was going to happen next. She knew how they'd find the "body of a defensless girl" the very next day. No…Lily wasn't that optimistic at the moment.

"Lily?" A stronger, warmer, more familiar voice shouted. "Whats wrong? Are you okay in there?"

The door began to rattle, James on the other side attempting to push it open. The man, whoever he was, quickly withdrew without hesitation. All Lily heard was a swishing sound, and when James finally burst through the door, letting light into all the corners of the room, she saw nothing. Not one trace.

"Are you okay?" James walked over to her, now incredibly concerned over the girl who was standing infront of him: face red, sweating, panting wildly in the corner with her mouth hanging open and eyes wide.

She didn't shake her head, nor did she nod, she just stood there searching him with her eyes. He was still here…he had to be…

"Lils?" He repeated, now a foot away from her. He grabbed her hand, which was warm. He turned her wrist over in his large hand and felt her pulse.

"Shit…" he mumbled, "What the hell happened in here?"

The numbing feeling in her throat was beginning to dissolve away slowly as she once again felt the words she should have screamed and shouting blocking away her throat. Lily coughed, and began to once again pant.

"I-I-I, Oh my God…I have no fuckin' clue what just happened." Her red hair was sticking to her forehead from the sweat. A piercing headache penetrated through her head, making it even more difficult than it already was to think.

James gave her a frown of concern and stepped forward, wiping the hair from her face to see her clearly. Yes, he could tell by the look on her face she did in fact have no fuckin clue what had just happened.

"Start slowly, what'd you see when you entered the room?" He grabbed her hand and began to drag her (almost literally) out of the room and into the light.

"It was…dark. I couldn't see anything. I never saw anything the whole time I was in there…" She shut the door hard behind her and leaned against the walls, eyes staring up at the ceiling.

"Then what was the first thing that happened?" James ran a hand through his hair subconsciously as he watched her intently.

"Don't do that." She said absent mindedly and his hand dropped down limply to his side.

"Sorry,"

"Anyway," she continued in almost a whisper, "someone, I don't know who, shot a muting spell at me. I couldn't talk until you came in. And-and he started whispering my name into my ear, and grabbing my hand, and touching my hair. I thought he was going to…" she trailed off, and they both knew exactly what he was probably going to do.

James sighed and put an arm around her, helping her to stand up straight, "Do you know where this person went?"

"No, I don't."

"Do you need to go to the Hospital Wing?"

She shook her head; "I'll be fine, just as long as we cut rounds down short today."

"Of course! But really…I should take you to the Hospital Wing. We don't have to explain anything…" He said and steered her towards the stairs.

"I'm fine." Lily said stubbornly. Yeah, that was one of her flaws. She didn't know when she needed help and when she didn't.

She rested her head on his shoulders as they walked down the hallways in silence. Lily liked the way James always smelled, secretly. James looked down at her. Lily was now resting her head on him, and for the second time just screaming for comfort and security. That was something she didn't have too much of, James admitted. Feeling somewhat like he was her older brother that needed to take care of her, he pulled her in just a little closer.

And almost immediately, James found himself leading Lily up to her room to make sure everything ended okay. She sighed and dropped onto her bed.

"I'm so tired." She whispered as she buried herself under the mass of blankets without even bothering to change her clothes.

"Go to sleep then, hurry up." James said, sitting at the edge of her bed, his own eyes beginning to droop.

"But I still have homework to do…" she said, sitting up in bed.

James sighed, the things he did for friends. "I'll do it if you go to sleep right now."

Lily grinned broadly, "Really? Thanks! You're the best."

James shrugged and stood up, "So goodnight Lils. And you should really see Dumbledore…."

"No, I don't want to tell him…"

"Fine. At least tell Leah."

"Of course. Goodnight James. Thanks a lot." She gave him a quick hug and a peck on a cheek.

"Uh…goodnight…" He said rather awkwardly.

"Night." Lily responded, not surprised or worried, just tired.

Up at the Gryffindor Common Room, Remus was sitting on his bed quietly reading a book when downstairs he heard an arrangement of loud noises (that sounded like furniture falling) and string of curses.

"James is back," Remus said casually as he flipped a page.

Sirius laughed and plopped down on his bed, waiting for his best friend to arrive so he could laugh- uh, I mean, help him with his problems.

Sure enough, James slammed open the door and fell back onto his bed.

"What's wrong," Remus rolled his eyes.

"Nothings wrong, damnit."

"Liar." He said, taking his eyes off the page to look at him.

"Ok, fine….I think Lily…Lily might…I think Lily might like me." He said at last and gave a huge sigh of despair.

Sirius and Remus shared a quick glance, and immediately burst into fits of laughter.

"You-you- you think Lils LIKES you? Oh- oh my God. This- is- so-funny." Remus hid his face in the pillow where he let out more laughter.

Sirius was laughing too hard trying to breathe to do anything.

"WHAT? I think its FAIR for me to think that. She kissed me!"

"She kissed you on the cheek, sorry to disappoint you."

"So? And…how do you know?"

"Well, for one, she kisses EVERYONE on the cheek if you haven't noticed. She kisses me on the cheek, and even Leah sometimes. She gets very close to people, its her way of showing you're very important to her. That doesn't mean she loves you or even likes you THAT way. And she would never kiss you anywhere else, trust me."

"Oh. Right. Well, that's good news."

Awkward Silence.

Sirius smirked, "You know you liked it."

SMACK

* * *

Hi peoples! Im going on a trip for 3 weeks, so i might not update in a while...sorry... :( Review anyway, please! and i'll probably be brainstorming half the time, so i'll get right on writing afterwards


	12. Picnic By The Lake

**Emerald Eyes  
**  
_Disclaimer: I don't own, although I AM a very bad girl for not updating.  
  
Don't hurt me for not updating! I actually have a very good excuse! The first three weeks of not updating I was in Utah, visitng a friend. Then, when I got back, I had done a lot of thinking and decided to review the whole thing and make hanges. I did. And wow, I found a lot of things to change! Nothing huge guys, just details and grammar errors. Then I spent the rest of the time writing, I have at least 3 more chapters finished and four on its way. Also, I've been writing OTHER stories. I have ideas for three new ones which I actually like, I might clue you guys in later ;)_

* * *

Previously

"Well, for one, she kisses EVERYONE on the cheek if you haven't noticed. She kisses me on the cheek, and even Leah sometimes. She gets very close to people, its her way of showing you're very important to her. That doesn't mean she loves you or even likes you THAT way. And she would never kiss you anywhere else, trust me." "Oh. Right. Well, that's good news." Awkward Silence. Sirius smirked, "You know you liked it." SMACK

* * *

** Chapter Twelve: Picnic By The Lake  
**  
"Lily!" Leah, in the early hours in the morning, charged into Lily's room and bounced onto her bed.  
  
"Go away." Lily mumbled.  
  
"I was so freakin worried! Remus told me what happened last night. Are you okay?"  
  
"How'd Remus know?" She lifted her head up from her pillow.  
  
"James, stupid. Are you okay though?"  
  
Lily sat up, now realizing she wasn't going to go back to sleep, "Yeah, I'm fine." She said, forcing a smile.  
  
Leah smiled back, "Good, in that case, let's go to Hogsmade today."  
  
"Alright, I'm running low on candies and Zonko products anyway." Lily got out of bed, yawning. "I'll catch up with you in a second, I'm just going to get ready. I'm sort of behind aren't I?"  
  
Leah laughed, "Yeah, just a little, so you might want to hurry. See ya." She said, and left through the door.  
  
"Look at this, two more Ministry officials found dead." Sirius pointed out in the Daily Prophet, and passed the newspaper around for everyone to read the article.  
  
Lily frowned, "That sucks. And do they really still believe this is all a coincidence? That it has nothing to do with Vold-"  
  
"You-Know-Who."  
  
"Right, him."  
  
"Well...I think everyone knows its about him. They just think saying its not will make it go away. So basically, we're screwed with these idiots running the Ministry." Said James.  
  
Remus nodded, "The Ministry has been known for being ignorant, but somehow they never get fired and never open up. Everyone thinks the Ministry is the best, that its at its finest lately, etc. But really, it's the worst it's been in decades, and if we keep it up."  
  
There was silence as everyone dissolved into there own thoughts. It was broken, of course, by none other than Sirius.'  
  
"Wow." He whistled, "Mary's sure lookin'...fine today." Sirius turned to James and gave him a wink.  
  
"Shut up." James said, elbowing him in the ribs as Mary came over to them.  
  
"James!"  
  
"Mary!"  
  
And yeah, I'm pretty sure you can guess how that part goes. Two crazy teenagers.... hormones...pretty simple.  
  
Remus, finally, coughed loudly, "If you guys are going to eat each other's face off, why don't you do it in a place we CANT see it?"  
  
James and Mary blushed, and reluctantly stopped their little scene. Lily gave them a mock scolding glare.  
  
"Anyway," Mary said, still blushing, "what I actually came here for is to ask you all to go to a.... picnic!"  
  
When no one answered and they were all staring at her, she continued nervously.  
  
"I just thought it'd be nice! You four, and of course, if you two girls want to come. The weather's just lovely today and I think it'd be splendid if we all went outside and took advantage of it!"  
  
James cleared his throat, "Well...uh. That'd...that'd be fun." It seemed obvious to everyone but Mary that James sincerely did not want to go have a 'lovely picnic'.  
  
"Great! Will you guys come?" She asked the rest of them enthusiastically.  
  
The rest of them answered with, "Uh....sure!" "Um, I'll be there." "I guess."  
  
Sirius, who still hadn't answered, raised an eyebrow at her. "Hell n-"  
  
Remus kicked Sirius' leg incredibly hard.  
  
"OW GODAMNIT! REMUS YOU DOLT! THAT'S MY LEG!" Sirius sprang up, howling in pain, glaring daggers at him.  
  
"Is it really now?" Remus said causally, as everyone near them turned to look curiously.  
  
"Yes, yes it is!" Sirius grabbed his leg in pain, and sat down.  
  
"So I guess you're going, too?" Remus said, turning to Sirius and giving him the 'If-you-don't-say-yes-I'll-beat-you-with-my-blugers-bat' kinda look.  
  
"Y-y-yeah. I'll go." Sirius said, scooting down the bench.  
  
"Lovely! I'll see you all there!" Mary waved and stood up, smiling brightly.  
  
As soon as she left, Lily remembered something, "Sorry guys, I just remembered that Lea and I have to go to Hogsmade."  
  
"Good! You guys can go after the picnic." James smiled sweetly.  
  
Leah and Lily both sighed, but agreed to reluctantly just because they needed to help out a friend.  
  
"I could be doing my homework right now, James, you owe me one." Lily mumbled as they were walking.  
  
"Oh come on, its not going to be that bad." James rolled his eyes.  
  
"Yeah, right."  
  
The six made their way to the top of the small hill that, even from far away, you could see a blanket set up with baskets all around. Mary was sitting there, legs folded under her, waving to them enthusiastically. James smiled and waved back, the rest just smiled in a not very enthusiastic way. Everyone sat down on the blanket without complaint, looking at each other regretting.  
  
"This is so great!" Mary squealed, and took out a pile of Tupperware from her basket. "Here's the food! I've got paper plates right here!" She turned around and pulled out another stack.  
  
"This looks great!" Remus said, trying to be nice.  
  
"Thank you! It's my grandmother's recipe. Oh, and try not to loose the Tupperware. But, incase you do, my name is written on the bottom!" She smiled and signaled to the label that had her name, address, and a smiley face written on it.  
  
They just smiled, not really knowing what to say. Even James looked a little stunned.  
  
"So," Mary said, serving herself some cake, "what do you guys think?"  
  
"It's great!" James replied enthusiastically, serving himself some caviar.  
  
Mary beamed, and everyone else nodded in agreement.  
  
"So..." Sirius, not enjoying the silence, tried to make conversation, "Quiditch is coming pretty soon, Gryffindor v.s. Hufflepuff."  
  
"I cant wait to see their faces when we beat them! We've been working our asses off, they've got nothing on us." James said happily, Quiditch was his thing.  
  
"I know! Hufflepuff sucks at Quiditch, they haven't one the cup in....a long, long, long time." Remus added.  
  
"They are pretty lame," Lily agreed.  
  
"We can take down any house and beat them to pulps!" Typical James, being the captain of the team and all.  
  
"Oh stop it sweetie. You know my house is quite a load of competition." Mary said.  
  
Lily turned to Remus and mouthed 'Sweetie?'. Remus shrugged, and looked at James to see how he felt being called 'sweetie'. It was somewhat obvious James was surprised, but he covered up quickly.  
  
"That's true. But I'm not going to go easy on your house just because of you," he said, winking.  
  
Mary laughed, "You're so funny!"  
  
Leah groaned and whispered to Lily, "She's like every other bimbo he's dated."  
  
"She hasn't asked to sleep with him, so he thinks she's 'special'." Lily whispered back, rolling her eyes.  
  
"If he wants someone who wont sleep with him on the first date why doesn't he just date you?" Leah asked. Lily shoved her playfully.  
  
"I'm too cool, that's why."  
  
Leah laughed in response.  
  
"What's so funny?" Mary asked cheerfully as she spotted the two other girls laughing with each other.  
  
"Nothing." Leah smiled.  
  
"Tell me!" Mary pleaded.  
  
"Really, nothing." Lily reassured her.  
  
"Its not nice to keep secrets." Mary stated as if that mattered.  
  
Sirius stifled a laugh, and Remus bit his lips in an amused manners.  
  
"There is no secret." Leah said slowly.  
  
Mary sighed and turned to James, "Honey, I don't think your friends like me." She put on a fake frown and pleading eyes.  
  
"Of course they like you," he said soothingly, "Isn't that right guys?"  
  
"There is no doubt we like you! You just have to excuse Lily, she can be a little....jealous sometimes." Sirius said, smiling.  
  
Lily sat up, "What? Oh, right. I'm incredibly jealous."  
  
Mary laughed, "I don't blame you! Oh Peter, do try this cake right here, I think you'll love it."  
  
The rest of the picnic continued much like this, with small talk, small compliments, and a few jokes. Nothing too exciting, but Mary seemed absolutely delighted over everything. James' only purpose of being there was of course to be ridiculously close to Mary.  
  
"Guys, I think I should go now. I'm sorry, but I promised I'd tutor some girls from my house." She said politely and stood up. "It's been fun, I think you'll all agree we should do this another day."  
  
They just smiled at her. Keep on smiling....  
  
"Bye honey," Mary leaned down and kissed James' lips tenderly.  
  
He smiled up at her, "Bye."  
  
With a swish of her wand, everything packed itself into one large basket. With one last wave, she set off back to Hogwarts.  
  
"That was...interesting James. Don't you ever, ever drag me into another picnic like this again." Sirius said honestly, throwing a small rock at his leg.  
  
"Sorry guys, I mean I love Mary and all but-"  
  
"You love her?" Remus blurted out, looking stunned. "Are you the James I know?"  
  
"James. Don't you remember our vow 'I shall never, ever fall in love with a girl until I graduate'. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH HER! You haven't been with her two months and you're in love? Bullshit." Sirius declared, looking hurt.  
  
"I think I love her. I mean, I get butterflies in my stomach every time I see her-"  
  
"That means you're going to puke." Peter interrupted.  
  
James went on, "And I can't think straight when I'm near her."  
  
Remus said, "Damn right you cant. That's not love, James."  
  
"Then what do you think it is, then? Its not a crush-"  
  
Lily, how was now lying down next to James, rolled onto her arms and placed a hand over his mouth, cutting him off abruptly.  
  
"I've heard this conversation too many times, I'm leaving." Lily said, her hand still on his mouth. "Coming Leah?"  
  
"Yeah, coming." She joined Lily.  
  
"OH MY GOD JAMES! You licked my hand! You're so sick." Lily screeched, quickly taking her hand off his mouth. She wiped her slobbery hand on James' shirt.  
  
"Goodbye Lilikins." He said, smiling innocently at her as she stood up.  
  
"Goodbye James dearest." She said sarcastically.  
  
"What about us? Aren't you going to say bye to us?" Sirius asked her, clutching his heart.  
  
"No. Bye Remus, Sirius, Peter."  
  
"We'll be in the lake if anyone needs us." Leah called back as she grabbed Lily's arm and pulled her forward.  
  
"We will?" Lily asked suspiciously.  
  
"Yeah, we will. Come on now."  
  
The Marauders continued to banter and Lily let Leah drag her away from them and closer to the castle.  
  
"What are you doing?" Lily asked slowly. She knew Leah all too well...  
  
"I just thought of something! Ok, I don't know why I haven't ever seen it before!" Leah said excitedly, sitting against Hogwarts' stonewall.  
  
Lily waited for an explanation with crossed arms.  
  
"You and James. Oh my God. Why didn't I see it before?" Leah was practically bursting with excitement.  
  
"What about me and James..."Lily asked monotonously.  
  
"The both of you, together, would make SUCH a great couple."  
  
An utterly shocked look sprung onto Lily's face, and she gawked at her best friend with a disbelieving look, "You have got to be kidding."  
  
"No, I'm not! Come on, don't you see the way you guys look at each other?"  
  
"James and I will never, ever be more than friends, this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard you say, Leah!" Lily said strictly.  
  
"Oh, stop being so thick! If you guys gave each other a chance-"  
  
"No, I do not like James more than a friend in any form or way, end of discussion." Lily said finally.  
  
"Stop it! Just give it a thought."  
  
"Nah ah, there is no way in hell I'm going to even consider considering it."  
  
Leah sighed in dismay, but she still had a smile on her face, "Ok. I believe you. For now."  
  
Lily rolled her eyes playfully and smiled back, "You know the guys are going to ask us why we came all the way over here and not even go to the lake."  
  
Leah shrugged, "We'll lie." She said simply as she stood up from the stone wall and began to walk back.  
  
Lily smirked, "I have a better idea."  
  
With one swift movement, she grabbed Leah's shoulders and pushed her backwards, making her fall over the edge and into the bitter, cold lake water. Leah gave a scream of surprise and landed in the water with a large splash, sending a pulse of ripples surging through the water.  
  
The water must have been 6 feet deep, slightly taller than Leah. She kicked off the bottom and broke through the surface, gasping for breath.  
  
Lily laughed, "That's for even mentioning, thinking about the satanic idea that-"she felt a tap on her shoulders, and spun around to see James smiling at her. "Oh, hi James!"  
  
James smiled, "Can I ask why you pushed Leah into the lake?"  
  
"We're swimming, remember?" Lily said, not sounding convincing at all.  
  
"Oh, I see." James could tell she was lying, "Then you don't mind if I push you in too?"  
  
"Uh, no, not at all." James was about to push her, but she stepped to the side, stepped behind him, and instead pushed him into the lake. He, too, fell with a splash in the water, and glared daggers up at Lily.  
  
"It's cold down here! That wasn't very nice." James could easily stand in the water, but none the less did not want to be completely soaked.  
  
"You guys are so easy to trick!" Lily bent down, laughing as she watched them paddle around. "I bet-"  
  
Two strong hands pushing her forward cut off Lily' boasting. She tried to stop herself, but she began to loose her balance as she began to fall forward, and soon, she too was splashing into the lake. Lily sprung up to get some fresh air, and turned around to look at the person who had pushed her down.  
  
"Sirius!" She yelled, just barley being able to keep herself up above the water high enough to talk. "You evil bastard!"  
  
"Look who's talking!" Leah said, spitting water out of her mouth.  
  
"You had it coming!" Lily said before popping underwater and swimming over to James. "I'm going to ride on your back, because you're tall."  
  
She wrapped her hands around his neck to hold on.  
  
"I'm going to be sick tomorrow," Lily said as she felt her feet go numb. She rested her chin on his shoulder and looked sideways at him.  
  
"If I'm sick tomorrow, I'm so going to kill you." Leah complained, as she tried to climb up some rocks to get out.  
  
"You're not going to get out that way." James said simply, "Tried it, second year, you have to wait for someone to get you out."  
  
"Sirius, help me up?" Leah asked to Sirius, who was quietly watching with an amused look. Sirius reached down and pulled her up, and preformed a quick drying spell on her clothes.  
  
"Thanks," Leah said, and she bent over to look at Lily and James who were still in the lake. "You want up?"  
  
"No thanks, mommy. I'll get out in a few minutes." Lily said, smiling at Leah.  
  
Leah eyed James and then gave Lily a knowing look, "Alright. You two have fun." She said before turning around and walking back up to the castle with Sirius.  
  
"Lils, by the way, a few girls have come up to me asking that we make them a dance for the beginning of the year. Whad'you think?" He asked.  
  
"Lets go sit on those rocks over there. Knee deep in water is sort of an awkward place to talk." They walked over to a small set of rocks that you could easily sit on and still drag your feet in the water. They were both soaking wet from head to toe, but neither of them minded much. The wind began to blow and Lily shivered, scooting closer to James.  
  
"So?" He asked.  
  
"I guess a lot of girls would like that, but it'd be hard work." Lily said after a moment of thinking about it.  
  
"But what do you think about it, personally?"  
  
"Dances are always fun to hang out with friends, but I'm not really one for the whole find-a-date even if you hate them part." Lily admitted.  
  
"Have you ever had a date for a dance?" He asked curiously.  
  
"Once, but I dumped him the next day because he attempted to get me drunk." She said sheepishly.  
  
"Most men would stoop down to any level to get a lovely girl in bed with them." James said, winking playfully.  
  
"Like you?" She teased.  
  
"Nah, girls willingly go to bed with me. Most of them ask for it, did you know that?"  
  
"James, I'm sorry, I care for you and everything but honestly you could spare me the details of your sex-life." Lily laughed.  
  
"Sorry." He said, grinning mischievously.  
  
"Right. Anyway, I think if people really want it I'm sure we could pull it off. With our brains, super intellect and what not."  
  
"Alright, we'll run the idea past Dumbledore next time we see him."  
  
There was a moment's silence, and Lily began to kick pebbles into the water with her toes. So randomly and unexpected, James gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, which surprisingly made her cheek tingle. She didn't look mad or anything, just gave him a look of surprise.  
  
"What was that for?" She asked, with a small smile on her face.  
  
"Being a great friend, I'm glad Remus made me say sorry to you. Now lets get out of this lake before we freeze off our asses." He said casually and stood up.  
  
Still grinning, Lily stood up next to him and hopped onto his shoulders and he lifted her over onto the grass. '  
  
"I'll try and help you up but I'm sorry if I let go and let you fall to your death." Lily said as she got on her stomach and extended her hands for him to take. She somehow pulled him out and they both landed on the grass with a thud.  
  
"Well," Lily announced, getting up, "I have to go with Leah to Hogsmade, so I'll catch you later." She said, smiling.  
  
"You might want to change your shirt before you leave though," he said, nodding towards her white shirt which was somewhat transparent due to the water.  
  
"Ah," she said, "Thank you for noticing." Lily gave a quick smile before turning around and walking back to her room. James just watched her leave, wondering what really had compelled him to kiss her...even if it was only on her cheek. He, too, ignored the quick tingle his lips had felt. Because, after all, Lily was just a friend.

* * *

Ah, I know, I'm such a horribel person for not updating! I know, I know, but im not going anywhere for the rest of the summer so.....I'M GOING TO WRITE MY HEART OUT! hehehe. I'll give all my reviewers a BIIIIIG HUUUG! Please review! im nervous about this chapter.

Oh, and thank you ALL for the wonderful suggestions. I decided I'm not going to move it up to R. However, if you read it afterwards (not coming for maybe two or three chapters) and decide it should be R, PLEASE tell me! Again, thanks guys for the imput! I love you all! ;)

If you have any questions or comments review! WHOO!

Love

-Althea

P.S. My birthday is in 3 days! YEAAAHHH! 


	13. Death Eaters at Hogsmade

**Emerald Eyes**

****

_Disclaimer: I won Harry Potter, Hahaha, losers. Ok, no, not really. I'm also a loser who wishes she did but doesn't so just writes about stuff relating to Harry Potter because its all she can ever do. _

_

* * *

_ _Previously_

_"You might want to change your shirt before you leave though," he said, nodding towards her white shirt which was somewhat transparent due to the water.  
  
"Ah," she said, "Thank you for noticing." Lily gave a quick smile before turning around and walking back to her room. James just watched her leave, wondering what really had compelled him to kiss her...even if it was only on her cheek. He, too, ignored the quick tingle his lips had felt. Because, after all, Lily was just a friend._

_

* * *

_ **Chapter Thirteen: Death Eaters at Hogsmade**

"Hurry, come on, before it closes!" Leah rushed, running through the sidewalk, her jacket flying in the air behind her. Lily was walking a bit more slowly, rolling her eyes at her friend's obsession with getting places on time.

"It doesn't close for another hour-"

"SO? Come on!" This time, she stopped, grabbed Lily's hand, and ran at full speed towards Zonkos, not resting till they got there. Once inside they began peacefully browsing candies of all shapes and sizes that weren't what they seemed to be, and pranks that were simple and others that were so ingenious it was hard to appreciate. There was one prank that was dust sprinkled into your victim's drink, which had them randomly spitting out objects while they were talking. Although horribly overpriced, she was tempted to buy it.

It was all silent and fine, until there was a loud crashing sound from outside on the streets. Everyone in the shop instinctively jumped and turned around, and Lily, coincidentally being closest to the door, stepped out to take a look of what was causing it…

And she wasn't prepared for the scene before her eyes. Everywhere, in every direction, there were figures in dark hoods, jumping from side to side, slashing things with their knives and smashing windows. People were rushing out of the terrorized shops, some too scared to scream and others screaming so loud your ears hurt instantly. The few children that were there were crying, holding tight to their mother's neck. A nearby shop was on fire, and there was already a good amount of bodies piling up on the ground.

"Holy. Shit." Was all Lily said, taking in the scene with wide eyes. Everyone in the shop began to scream, knocking things over and attracting attention from the Death Eaters. It was obvious by the look on people's faces, when faced with a real emergency most don't remember everything they learned. Stop, drop, and roll. Please walk, don't run, to the nearest exit. Leah, wearing the same, shocked, afraid expression as Lily stepped next to her, both too terrified beyond their wits to say anything. People were running out of the store, pushing each other and not minding as long as they saved themselves.

"Leah, we need to do something." She said, grabbing her arm.

"What?" She asked with a trembling voice. Both their hearts were beating fast, and Lily decided lately that this feeling had come so many times she might as well make it permanent. Her brain ached for some reason, making her stumble in every movement she made as Lily finally exited the store and ran, with Leah right behind her, into a small but concealing dark alley. They both watched quietly, breathing rapidly, as the Death Eaters swooped through the streets, like dark rain clouds rumbling across the sky. The noise and the intensity of the situation made you just want to close your eyes and do nothing at all, but they had enough sense left to figure that wasn't a good idea. Instead, Lily pulled out her wand.

"What're you doing?" Leah asked, panic stricken. 

"I don't know," Lily admitted.

"Don't do anything stupid that'll land us in Azkaban."

Lily nodded and extended her wand as she recited the first spell that came to her mind, "Stupefy!" From the dark alley, a yellow light shot from her wand to a Death Eater, who was maliciously sending fireworks and small fire bombs into the street, most of them hitting people and sending them back onto the hard ground with great impact, killing or knocking them out.

At first Lily thought it hadn't reached him, but she thought again as he slowly began to stagger backwards, and then fell in a swoon against the glass window of one of the shops, sending pieces of glass flying everywhere, making even his fellow Death Eaters jump. He lay limp, and for a moment Lily nor Leah breathed in fear of what had happened.

"Is he dead?" Lily finally asked, the words just barley escaping out of her lips.

"I..I don't know. I don't think so." Leah responded.

A feeling in the pit of her stomach told her she didn't just knock him out…"I think I did."

"Whatever, lets just get out of here. We've been stupid enough to stay here this long already. Something could happen."

They both reluctantly stood up and exited their safe cover, just as two or three Death Eaters came to the scene of Lily's Death Eater.

"Victor," one called out, nudging the body with his foot, "Victor!"

"He's dead!" One announced, and they looked around wildly.

"Who stunned him?" Yet another called out. Lily froze, looking terrified at them.

"Over there!" The Death Eater who had spoken first pointed directly in front of him…directly at Lily. "I saw a spell being shot from the alley!" He announced, and one snarled and whipped out a sword from the back of his belt.

"You!" He hissed, as if they had met before. Of course, even if they had, she couldn't recognize him from the cloak still draping over his face.

"Shit. Lily. Run." Leah said through gritted teeth, grabbing Lily's arm and trying to pull her forward. But Lily didn't move one inch, she was petrified and still staring at them. They were walking closer, or at least, the one with the sword was. The sword was already covered in, Lily guessed, what was human blood. Now hers would be decorating the sword as well…she thought.

The sworded Death Eater was about to reach for his hood, and while doing so whispered (he was not that far away now), "Mudblood Evans, don't worry, you'll get to see the smiling face of the man who's going to murder you…while he does it. I wouldn't deprive myself of the pleasure of seeing your look of surprise as-"

"LILY! NOW!" Leah commanded, shouting loudly into her ear, and Lily finally snapped out. At the same time, they both immediately turned to run away, and managed to do so without meeting the edge of the sword. But the angry revenge-filled Death Eater didn't give up that quickly. He was chasing after them, and all three were leaping over bodies and fallen objects as they ran for their lives.

"Is he still behind us?" Lily asked after a few minutes of running straight ahead, not looking back.

"I don't think so- Oh crap yes he is." They both hurried up and decided the only way they'd loose him was to, well, confuse him. So, with the smallest amount of words and signals possible, they agreed on turning right into another street, where the wildfire of destruction had not yet arrived. The few people who were walking down the sidewalks began with odd curious looks upon their face, until they saw the Death Eater chasing them, and then they dropped all their belongings and ran, screaming a warning out to everyone.

Lily and Leah were breathless, the only reason they were still running was if they staggered even for one step, who knows what could happen. Ahead of them, there was a lady, maybe in her early 30's, who got her wand quickly from her pocket. For a quick second, Lily thought she was going to curse them, but she instead pointed her wand to the Death Eater and exclaimed, "Stupefy!"

The two girls stopped running as they heard him fall to the ground. Breathed frantically, trying to catch up with their wild lack of breath. Lily took a look at the stunned Death Eater, looking much like a pile of forgotten, dirty rags. They then turned to look at their savior, who was looking nervous and now rather frightened.

"Thank you so much." Lily said sincerely.

"Yeah, thank you so, so, so incredibly much." Leah panted.

"No problem," she said quickly, "but you girls better hide or leave soon. If I know what Death Eaters are like, a mob of them will be sweeping around the corner any time now."

They nodded and Leah asked, "Should we remove his hood?"

The lady nodded, "Here, let me do that. I'm a trained Auror." She announced, squatting down and extending her hand towards the hood…

But before she got chance to pull it off, the stomping of footsteps was heard at the very corner of the street. There was now a group of five or six Death Eaters running from the corner of the street.

"Avada Kedavra!" One of them shouted, and sent a deathly green glowing light from their wand, and hit the kind woman square in the chest. Everyone surrounding them, even the Death Eaters who were so commonly used to this sort of thing, watched her as she first put on a pained, distressful face. She fell backwards, in what almost was a twitching manner, and before passing away into the other world, she gave a quick trace of a smile and her eyes dropped closed.

Ignoring the pain, guilt, anger and the terrifying feeling that was beginning to rise in them, Lily and Leah both, at the same time, sprinted down the street, often having to duck behind large objects to avoid getting hit by a curse. But the girls were much further away from the mob of Death Eaters, and they quickly reached the end of the street.

"Over there!" Leah called, pointing to the street on their left. "There's Honeydukes!"

Without another word, they ran with all the strength they could muster up towards Honeydukes. They began to think everything was going to be okay with every step they took towards the small shop. Usually, they would have gone in carefully and tried to sneak into the cellar without suspicion. This time however, things were different. Thank God, nobody was in the shop at the moment when they ran in except for the owner, who was dusting off the shelves.

"DEATH EATERS! COMING CLOSER! RUN!" Lily shouted, giving herself hardly any time to explain to the old, frightened man what was going on. What he did Lily didn't stick to find out. They both ran down towards the cellar and without any hesitation slipped through the trap door and into the dark narrow passage. In most circumstances the passageway wasn't exactly the greatest place to hide, but when Death Eaters were on the loose it seemed an incredibly splendid place to hide them.

"Should we go back to Hogwarts?" Leah asked in a shiver, and Lily realized her eyes were tearing up.

"Its okay Leah, we're safe in here. But, yeah, we probably should go back...we need to tell Dumbledore."

"Ok, lets go."

They turned around and crawled faster than they ever had before out into the castle.

"You want to tell Dumbledore while I tell the guys?" Lily asked.

Leah shrugged, "Sure. I'll meet you at the Common Room."

"Ok, bye." And Lily sprung out to the right as Leah took a left. Lily ran as fast as she could down the Gryffindor hallways and finally to the portrait of the fat lady.

"Passw-"

"BUTTERBEER!"

"Okay, okay, don't get so demanding," the Fat Lady scolded while reluctantly swinging open the portrait door.

Being a Friday night, most people were outside of the Common Room hanging out in the hallways or outside. Luckily, James was one of the few people that were in Common Room. Remus and Sirius were nowhere to be seen.

"James!" Lily shouted from the other side of the Common Room, and was already charging in his direction by the time he looked up.

"Lily?" He asked as she wrapped him up in a huge gigantic hug. "What was that for?"

"Oh my fuckin God…." Is all she said, hugging him even tighter.

"Do you care to explain why you're back early from Zonko's and are holding onto me for dear life?" He asked.

"Shit…shit…"

"I guess not." He sighed, and attempted to sit down. He was able to, but he wasn't able to get Lily off. He waited a moment or two then repeated again, "What happened?"

"Crazy Death Eaters," she muttered, her facial expression not changing as she put her head on his shoulder.

"Right…."

"I think I accidentally killed him…" she trailed off, knowing James had no clue what she was talking about.

"Who'd you kill? Did you kill Dumbledore? Oh my God you killed Dumbledore!" He announced when she didn't say anything.

"Shh," she hushed, covering his mouth with her hand, "If anyone asks, I killed no one." And with that she stood up and ran out the portrait to hide under her covers, forgetting about Leah who was supposed to meet her there.

James just stood there, completely confused until Leah arrived in the portrait. Leah, seeing his shocked face figured he already knew.

"I guess she told you what happened?" She asked sympathetically.

"YEAH! You guys killed Dumbledore!" James said alarmed.

Leah raised her eyebrows and gave him the oddest look she could gather, "What? No! We were chased down by Death Eaters because Lily accidentally killed one of them while they were trying to blow up Hogsmade! Duh!"

James gaped, both from the shock of the news and because he was so incredibly wrong, "Oh. Holy shit. Sit down and explain it to me, please."

And Leah did, with great detail, and he just continued gaping.

"Did you tell Dumbledore?" James asked.

"Yeah, he's going to have a meeting with Lily and I tomorrow night, he needs go somewhere tonight or something like that. Anyway, Where is Lily anyway?" Leah asked, looking around the room.

"I think she ran away or something, she was acting….special," James said finally, not able to choose the right words to describe her behavior.

Leah sighed. "Ok, well, can you track her down and tell her about the meeting tomorrow night? Please?"

"Fine, fine, fine." James got up, closed his textbooks, and went to the Heads Tower to find her. When he arrived in Lily's room, he saw she was already in bed, hiding under the covers. James shook his head and walked up the stairs and over to the side of Lily's bed.

"Lils…Lillian…Lily…" he called, but she didn't answer until five seconds later.

"Oh, hi James," she said, poking her head out from under the covers.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked.

"Hiding. They're going to kill me now!" She squealed and returned under the covers.

"But really, Leah told me what really happened, and sorry it went like that. "

Once again, she sneaked her head out, "Thanks. I'm really freaked out now, I actually killed him! And they knew my name, so they have to know me somewhere from Hogwarts." She shivered and returned to her safe spot.

James lay down on the bottom of her bed, and said, "Well, you don't need to worry. Hogwarts is one of the safest places on earth, they can't find you in here."

As much as Lily appreciated the attempt to make her feel better, it wasn't really helping that much. She still felt that insecure feeling at the pit of her stomach…

"I'm going to sleep now, I'm as tired a shit. Tell the guys I said good night, okay?" She told James, and lifted the covers up even higher.

"Alright, good night Lils. See you tomorrow. Sleep tight." James said as he stood up and then exited through the door.

As tired as she was, she had trouble falling asleep. A nagging voice in her mind kept her awake, but found herself once again ignoring that all-too familiar feeling and drifting off into a very, very, light sleep.

* * *

Thanks guys for reviewing! How lovely it was to hear from you again! And since I am just sooooooo bored and today is my birthday, I'm going to respond PERSONALLY to all you guys. A Happy Birthday to Manny2003! Happy sweet sixteen!

Holly-evans- Why thank you! Thank you for always reviewing my fic, here, have a COOKIE! (oo) SEE? It's a COOKIE! FOR YOU!

MaskedEnchantress- Thanks for reviewing, I'm glad you liked it.

Manny2003- That's SO COOL! So I'm guessing your birthday is on the 25th unless there's some huge time difference. That's cool, happy sweet 16th ;) Have a good one. As for 'llbecelebratingmythirteenthbirthdaysoreallyimnotsupposedtobeonherebutiamsoshhhhh(oh,iknow,iamsoincrediblyyoungsigh)cough Thanks for reviewing, ;) Glad you like it

child-of-scorpio- eh. I love you. Simply put, thank you so much for reviewing! And I'm glad Mary did come out the way I wanted her to be! Haha, I'll be sure to tell James the message. I might not be able to tell him the message for another good amount of chapters though, sorry for the inconvenience. Ah, is this a better, earlier update? I hope so. Keep in reviewing! I like your reviews!

Crimson Girl- Thanks! 

And since its Manny2003's birthday, and since its my birthday, I'm going to put up not one but TWO chapters! (And plus this one was rather short, ay?) Hehe, Please review, I looooooove hearing from you. If you want you can make it a long, crazy review or something short and simple, I just want to make sure I did okay. I need reassurance. Hehehe. I love you all dearly, and if you review I might just love you more. And you'll also get these groovy tie-die shirts bribes And if you're one of those people who need to be bribed by words….

-Althea


	14. Lots of Random Stuff

**Emerald Eyes**

****   
  
_Disclaimer: You know what? I think the only reason we're forced to put disclaimers on our stories is so that the actual people who actually own the particular story and characters we're obsessed with can LAUGH IN OUR FACE. Sigh in this case; it would be JK Rowling laughing in my face, because she owns everything familiar. Well, that's okay, because JK Rowling is so cool she can laugh at my face anytime she wants. Anyway....  
_

* * *

_Previously_

_ "I'm going to sleep now, I'm as tired a shit. Tell the guys I said good night, okay?" She told James, and lifted the covers up even higher. "Alright, good night Lils. See you tomorrow. Sleep tight." James said as he stood up and then exited through the door. As tired as she was, she had trouble falling asleep. A nagging voice in her mind kept her awake, but found herself once again ignoring that all-too familiar feeling and drifting off into a very, very, light sleep.  
_

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: Lots of Random Stuff**  
  
The first thing Lily thought of when she woke up was, "Shit, I'm late." Panicking, she looked at her clock, which read 10:06. Classes started at 9, yeah, she was definitely running late.  
  
Springing up, Lily wondered why on earth her friends hadn't even come to wake her up! Maybe they all were asleep, but that was highly unlikely. If anyone was awake, Remus would be, and he would have woken up Sirius, who would have woken up Peter, and well, you can pretty much guess how that routine would work out.  
  
Lily shuffled out of bed, groaning at the bad luck she was having so early in the morning. Oh well, she was already an hour late, might as well take a shower and actually wake up...Dragging herself into the bathroom, she opened the door and heard the running of water from inside the bathroom as she opened the door. The room was all steamy, and she asked quickly, "James? Is that you?"  
  
Whoever was using the shower (who was on the other side of the curtain, so she couldn't see them) obviously didn't hear, so Lily asked again, "James?"  
  
This time the person turned the water off, and James answered back to her, "Ah, Lily, you're finally up!"  
  
"Finally?! We're late! We have to get to class!"  
  
James laughed, "It's Saturday, genius."  
  
Lily let out a heavy sigh, thank God. She really, really, did not feel like paying attention at all today. "Woops."  
  
"Yeah, hold on, let me get decent..."  
  
A few seconds later, James threw back the curtains, "How'd you sleep?" He asked casually as Lily quickly shut her eyes.  
  
"You call that decent?" She asked quickly, "All you're wearing is a towel!"  
  
"Oh come on. It's not like you're Mary or some other girl who likes me in that kind of way."  
  
"Because if I was," she said, opening her eyes, "you'd have 'accidentally' dropped your towel by now."  
  
"Purburt." He muttered while brushing his teeth, and Lily laughed.  
  
"Anyway, are you going to let me use the bathroom now?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips.  
  
Without saying anything, he gestured towards the bathroom in an "its all yours" manner.  
  
"Alone?" She clarified, and James rolled his eyes and spit into the sink.  
  
"You cant kick me out of my own bathroom! I still need to use it, too."  
  
"Well I need to take a shower!"  
  
"Put up the curtain then! I won't look." He said, turning his back to her to prove his point.  
  
"Fine," she sighed in defeat, "but you better not."  
  
She pulled down the curtain again and walked towards the bath. On days like these, she preferred hot, long, relaxing baths instead of a quick shower. The bath filled itself almost instantly after turning the water on. With one quick glance behind her to make sure James wasn't watching, she stripped out of her clothes and slipped quickly into the bath and disappeared into the mass of bubbles. It smelled like oranges...mmm...  
  
James was still in the bathroom, and Lily, deciding she felt like talking to him, asked, "When's the next Quiditch game?"  
  
"Next Friday," he answered.  
  
"Nervous?"  
  
"Nah, against Hufflepuff. It'll be so incredibly easy, but we've been practicing lots anyway."  
  
"Quiditch is fun."  
  
"Do you play?" He asked curiously.  
  
"Yeah, but I'd never go on a team. I just do it for fun."  
  
"Ya sure? Because I'm sure we could find a space for you..."  
  
"Nah, no thanks."  
  
James shrugged, "Okay. Maybe you'd like to come to a Quiditch game with us, we go every year. We don't know what team it is playing yet but whoever it is will be great."  
  
"I'd love too! When is it, and who's going?" Lily asked excitedly.  
  
"It's in the winter, so we'll have to wait till then. I always go with my parents, and sometimes Sirius, Remus, and Peter meet us there."  
  
"Ah right, and I'm staying at your house during the winter right?" She laughed slightly.  
  
"Yep. It'll be fun. You know what? You'd really get along with my parents. Especially my mum."  
  
"Would I? Why do you say that?" Lily asked.  
  
"I don't know, you guys are a lot alike. You'd just click, I guess. And plus, she likes all my friends."  
  
"Cool. I hardly ever see Remus' mom."  
  
"Yeah, she usually gets home at night on work days. Once I spent one whole week at Remus'..."  
  
"Seriously? I'd get sick of someone if I spent that long with them."  
  
"What about with Leah?"  
  
"Ok, well, not with her as much, but with anyone else probably."  
  
"Well, you'll be spending all of your winter at my house. Haha, all hell will break loose!"  
  
Lily laughed, "The world is not ready for this! The six of us at your house...that'll be interesting."  
  
"Six of us?" James asked.  
  
"You, me, Leah, Remus, Sirius, and Peter. That's six." She said slowly, as if that would help him understand.  
  
"Oh, Peter hardly ever comes over. His mom is sick a lot, and no he's not a werewolf. It's a really sad situation, don't mention it when he's around."  
  
"Okay." Lily began to think, she knew everyone's life and history pretty well, except for him. What was his life like? What things has Peter gone through?  
  
"Anyway, I'm done now. Get out already and put some clothes on so we can go down to eat. I'm starving, everyone else has already eaten."  
  
"So they ditched us?" Lily asked in mock shock. (A/N: THAT RHYMES)  
  
"Basically. See you soon." James called back as he closed the door.  
  
Lily soaked in the bath for a few more minutes, but after remembering that James was out there waiting for her, she reluctantly left the bath and got dressed, washed her face, the usual stuff. However she didn't like to blow dry her hair, so she left it wet.  
  
Finally, for what seemed ages for James, Lily arrived fresh and dressed (A/N: Nah....really...) and both their stomachs craving food.  
  
"You take too long in the bath, I'm never letting you near that thing again!" James exclaimed as they walked through the corridors.  
  
"Hahaha. Very funny. Are we going to the kitchen to get our food?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah, of course. I don't know where everyone else is, but I think they went to Hogsmade!"  
  
"You're kidding!" Lily shouted. "How DARE they?"  
  
James snorted, "They're meaning butts!"  
  
Lily giggled, "Meanie butts? That's...mature."  
  
"Whatever, lets just hurry up. I swear I'm going to die if I don't eat anything soon."  
  
They ran to the kitchens as fast as they could, their stomachs begging them to go faster. Finally they arrived at the painting of the fruits, and after tickling the pear, they climbed in through the hole and were greeted by small house elves with giant bobbling heads.  
  
House elves were very insistent, helpful creatures. They particularly liked Lily and James, as they came to visit them often and they grew very attached to their customers. They offered platters of chocolates and biscuits, whatever you could imagine. But, they just stuck with waffles and orange juice. The table they were seated at was rather small. Too big for house elves but definitely too small for seventeen year olds. Nonetheless, once they began to eat, the house elves returned to whatever they were doing. It was a very, very, enjoyable meal.  
  
"So, do you seriously think they ditched us?" Lily asked between a mouthful of her waffle.  
  
"Mhmm," James nodded and swallowed, "I checked the Marauders Map, they forgot to take it this time."  
  
"Ah. Traitors. So how shall we spend our day? We could always go swimming in the lake, its nice out!" Lily suggested and James shrugged.  
  
"What else?" James asked.  
  
She thought for a moment, "We could just hang out outside I guess. Whatever, lets just head outside and we'll find something to amuse us."  
  
As they stood up to leave, the house elves rushed over to the table before Lily and James got a chance to touch their plates again. They swooped up the dirty dishes and took them over to the sink.  
  
"Thank you for the food!" Lily said to the crowd of elves.  
  
"We'll come again soon! It was delicious," James complimented.  
  
"You welcome Mister and Misses!" Once house elf squeaked and the rest nodded in agreement.  
  
"Bye!"  
  
Once again, they crawled through the hole and the door handle on the pear disappeared as they got out.  
  
"So, off to the lake?" James asked, offering a hand jokingly to Lily.  
  
"Yes, off we go." She smiled, laughing as she took his hand, "Lovely day outside, and I rather fancy the idea of swimming."  
  
James laughed, "My grandma talks like that. She's a sophisticated, posh, stereotypical old British lady."  
  
"Does she drink tea?" Lily asked in an excited manner.  
  
(A/N: Okay, sorry for that. Here's some of that American ignorance for you. But really, do all British people drink tea? Or a good deal? Is it like how Vegemite is to the Australians?)  
  
"Yep!"  
  
"Cool...." Lily said, obviously very amused.  
  
As they arrived to the large oak doors, they opened it and stepped outside into the nice fresh day. The sun was shining brightly overhead, but not casting sickeningly hot weather. All was quite balanced. They walked over to the edge of the land and where it dropped into the lake, and looked over.  
  
"Should we go swimming?" Lily asked nervously.  
  
"Yeah, if you want. I'll go."  
  
"Okay, but what about our clothes? And I'm not about to go skinny dipping, thanks."  
  
"Damn," James cursed, causing Lily to raise her eyebrows. "I'm kidding!" He said, punching her lightly on the arm.  
  
Lily rolled her eyes, "I'll just go in my clothes, I'm not wearing anything white." She said, taking off her jacket.  
  
They stripped themselves of shoes and socks and waddled over barefoot to the castle wall.  
  
"I bet we could climb this baby!" Lily said, looking up and studying the way the castle wall was built.  
  
"Maybe, we could probably jump off from that flat part over there," James pointed upwards and shaded his eyes from the sun.  
  
"Ok, but we're going to have to push each other up. Or, you're going to have to help me up." Lily corrected.  
  
"Alright, stand up on my shoulders!" James offered as he bent down.  
  
Lily's eyes sparkled with excitement as she nervously stepped on his back, trying to gain her balance as she wavered back and forth. She laughed as James slowly began to rise, and she held onto the wall for support.  
  
"Shit, shit..." she muttered as she rose higher into the air. Once James was standing up straight, Lily was able to lift herself onto the flat part of the wall that was sticking out pretty easily. She walked down over to the very edge, and, still holding onto the wall, looked downwards into the lake.  
  
Immediately wishing she hadn't, Lily retreated a few steps. It was a very long drop, and as much as she loved being up high, she wasn't particularly pleased with the idea of falling from extreme heights.  
  
"I'm scared! "She called down to James, who was watching her intently.  
  
"Just go!" He called back, "The waters deep, you wont hurt yourself!"  
  
Lily nodded and took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a second. "I'm going to do it!" She announced.  
  
"Well good!" James said half sarcastically, he was aching to go up there himself.  
  
"Here I go!" She stalled, walking forward very slowly.  
  
"Ok!"  
  
"I'm about to jump!"  
  
"Then go!"  
  
"Alright, I am."  
  
"You better!"  
  
"OK!"  
  
"JUST GO!" he yelled back, and Lily closed her eyes. Her toes were half off the edge. With one last word of encouragement to herself, she pushed off the castle and began to fall. It was a very long fall, and she was nervous that she'd never land. Screaming as she went down, Lily landed in the ice cold water with a splash, clashing horribly with her sweating body. She touched the bottom briefly with her toes, and quickly swam up to the surface, and gasped for breath as soon as she got there.  
  
"THAT WAS SO FUCKIN FUN!" She screamed at James who grinned and began to climb up the wall. He got there quicker with a lot less effort, being so tall, and quickly jumped off the castle and landed next to her with another large splash. Lily laughed as she saw his face when he rose to the top of the water.  
  
"Fun?"  
  
"So very much!" He said enthusiastically as they swam to land again to jump off a second time.  
  
Now completely soaking wet and cold, they had no worries of going back in.  
  
"That was awesome!" Lily squealed as she ran to the wall, and James lifted her up a bit more quickly this time.  
  
Since she had already done it once, Lily had no hesitation as she jumped off again, this time letting out a scream of excitement. The cold water bit her face again, but this time it was refreshing.  
  
"Come on!" She told James, who was already up on the castle.  
  
He turned around, and fell limply on his back into the water. Lily cringed, ouch. That might have hurt just a tiny bit....  
  
"HOLY CRAP!" He yelled as soon as he got the chance, his back burning with the impact.  
  
"Aww...poor Jamsie!" She cooed, "You're a smart one!"  
  
"Shut up...that really hurt." He rubbed his back with a sad look on his face. "Ouchies."  
  
"Come on, it'll go away from the thrill of jumping again. "  
  
So this is how they spent the next hour or so, jumping off the castle in many different ways. Backwards, forwards, flips, and James was even stupid enough to try a belly-flop. Another time they went holding hands and another time Lily jumped on his back (causing them to fall when they didn't expect it). So, it was all good, and by the time they decided they had had enough fun in one day, they were soaking wet and shivering cold.  
  
"Oh my God I'm so freakin' cold." Lily whined as the two of them made their way back up to the Common Room, both of them rubbing their hands together for warmth.  
  
"I know, come on, we're almost there!" James grabbed her arm and pulled her forward and entered through Lily's room.  
  
They ran up the stairs and into the bathroom, where without saying anything, they grabbed towels and ran back into their own separate rooms. After drying off and changing clothes, Lily and James met in their little common room and sat down on the sofa in front of the fire with a large blanket over them, furiously attempting to get warm.  
  
"Holy crap, I don't feel so great." Lily sniffed, her nose running and her head going through an immense headache.  
  
"Same here," James said as he leaned back on the couch, resting his head on the arm.  
  
"I'm going to sleep," Lily declared as she too lay down on the opposite end, "Maybe I'll feel better afterwards."  
  
"Ok, G'night." James said, closing his eyes.  
  
"Night..."  
  
(A/N: I feel so random, just making them go to sleep. Oh well...whatever....random...)  
  
Lily woke up later on that day, and judging by the sky outside, it was around 5:00, maybe a little later. She had woken up several times during her long nap, but each one just ended up in sleep again. Lily wasn't sure about James though, or how he had slept, only that he was currently snoring away. She turned her attention towards voices coming from near the door. It was Leah Remus Peter and Sirius, and they soon walked into the door loudly talking not noticing the fact they were sleeping. Or at least, James was. Wanting to make them feel guilty about being so loud, she quickly shut her eyes and pretended to be asleep again.  
  
"Lily!" Leah called, and when nobody answered she walked over to Lily's "sleeping" body.  
  
"Awww...they're sleeping!" Sirius whispered.  
  
"They're so cute." Remus said in a motherly tone.  
  
"They look a little pale, what's wrong with them?" Leah asked.  
  
"Maybe they're sick, what've they been doing?" Remus asked another question.  
  
"Maybe they were having a little too much 'fun' without us," Sirius winked pervertedly. Lily had to restrain herself from jumping up and tackling him to the ground.  
  
"Eww Sirius, you pervert." Remus said for her.  
  
"Whatever, lets go down to eat. We'll see what happened when they wake up," Peter said.  
  
"Shouldn't we wake them up?" Leah asked.  
  
"Nah, they need their sleep. And they'll be able to eat any other time. Come on," Sirius said and walked towards the door, everyone else soon at his heels.  
  
After moments of silence, making sure they were gone, Lily opened her eyes and whispered, "James! Wake up!"  
  
In an instant, his eyes were open and he didn't look tired at all, "Were you awake too?"  
  
"Yeah, you feeling better?" She asked, still in whispers.  
  
"Not really, you?"  
  
"Nah. What do you think the guys were doing at Hogsmade without us though?"  
  
"No clue at all. We'll ask them, lets go down to eat. "  
  
Lily groaned, "You can go, I have no intention of getting up from this couch."  
  
James sighed, "Fine, if you're not going, I wont go."  
  
"We'll starve together," Lily grinned and James smiled back.  
  
"Once Leah comes back I'm sure she'll go into the kitchens and get us some food. And it wont be that long, I think she's planning on visiting us as soon as she's done eating." James said lazily.  
  
"Okay, that works. Oh, who's that letter for?" Lily asked curiously, nodding towards a letter lying face down on the table.  
  
"Right, that's for you. I found it when I woke up earlier and it had your name on it. Don't worry, I didn't open it," James reached towards the letter and tossed it at her. She eagerly tore off the envelope and read the short note scribbled onto it.  
  
You filthy little Mudblood Evans, now you really have done it. You obviously have no sense, or you would have stopped meddling in things much earlier. As a filthy rotten piece of shit, now it's now your turn to pay for all the damage you've caused me. You're not dead yet, but if I were you I wouldn't count on living much too longer either.  
  
The note wasn't signed, but the moment Lily finished reading it she had a slight idea who it was from, after all, he'd written to her before. Or maybe it wasn't from HIM, directly, but from his crowd most definitely. This wasn't a hoax, she could tell by the seal on the envelope, it had the Dark Mark etched in black which seemed almost impossible to copy, it wasn't worth the effort. The troublesome letter added another pound to the heavy load on her shoulders, and she felt a surge of anger rush through her cursed body. Why her? She had never done anything to deserve this. Yet, she was being picked on by a force so powerful than Lily believed nobody, especially herself, could ever catch up to it. It wasn't a fair game, she was just a seventeen year old girl against a much older man with less of a heart than people could ever imagine. And he had his minions, and experience, and like I said before, pure hatred. It might not be the right way to go about things but it certainly, if done right, got you very, very far.  
  
"Who was it?" James asked, noticing the odd look on her face.  
  
Instead of answering, she passed the letter to James, who read it over quickly, concern spreading through his face.  
  
"God, Lils, I have I good guess who this is from...is it?" He asked, looking up at her.  
  
Lily looked down and nodded glumly, causing James to sigh deeply.  
  
"Lily, are you okay? Seriously, we need to tell someone about this-"  
  
"No! No, please, please don't!" She said nervously, chewing on her lip.  
  
"Why not? People can help you Lily, you don't have to do everything yourself. Let us help you, let someone help you," James said honestly, he cared a lot for Lily and could tell that by not saying anything, serious things could happen to her...to everyone.  
  
"But..." she found herself having no excuse for the selfish behavior, and looked up at James. For a moment they locked eyes, and Lily felt weird for a moment...she could really explain the feeling, so she broke her gaze away from him instead.  
  
"Alright," she finally said, "I'll tell Dumbledore."  
  
James smiled, "Good. Trust me, things will get better because of it. Dumbledore is one of, if not the, most powerful, wise wizard in the whole wizarding world, regardless of what anyone says. He'll know what to do."  
  
Lily smiled back, God she loved James...as a brother, of course, but she loved him nonetheless. He had this way of making her feel better in an instant.  
  
"Okay, I'll do it. But I'd like to go now, just to get it over with. And I forgot, but Leah and I have to talk to Dumbledore about Hogsmade yesterday." She sighed deeply, and swung her feet over the couch and stood up. James followed suit and they both together walked slowly and lazily down towards the Great Hall, none f them minding they looked like a complete mess.  
  
"Do you want me to go with you?" James asked her, subconsciously touching her arm.  
  
"Erm...no, its okay. I've got it." Lily said rather nervously as they walked down towards the Gryffindor table.  
  
"Alright, if you're sure."  
  
Leah and the remaining Marauders looked up when James and Lily arrived, and Leah quickly said, "What's wrong with you guys? You look horrible!"  
  
Lily sniffed, "We don't feel that good. But its okay, it'll go away soon I'm sure. In the mean time though Leah, don't we have to go to Dumbeldore?"  
  
"Oh yeah! I completely forgot!" She dropped her silverware immediately and stood up. "Do you want some bread to eat on the way up? I'm guessing you didn't eat lunch." Leah reached down and took a small loaf bread, tossing it to Lily.  
  
"Thanks," Lily said, catching it eagerly and eating away at it immediately.  
  
"No problem, but come on, lets go. Dumbeldore should be in his office, dinner is about over."  
  
They knew the way to his office all too well, and even a few shortcuts on hoew to get there quicker. In no less than three minutes they were trying out all sorts of ridiculous words for the password.  
  
"Hershey with coke," Lily tried.  
  
"Reessee mints!"  
  
"Uhhmm...what other candies are there?" Lily asked, they had been trying to find the password for a while now.  
  
"Open Sesame!" A voice from behind them spoke, and the gargoyles sprang apart.  
  
The girls turned around to see Dumbledore smiling warmly at them, walking up the stairs to his office.  
  
"Ah, I see you've finally come! So glad to see you, please, come up." His eyes, like always, were twinkling as he gazed at them.  
  
"Oh, hello Professor," Leah said as they began to walk up.  
  
"We didn't see you there." Lily added.  
  
"Just needed to make a quick rest stop," he winked, "natures call!"  
  
Once at the doors to his office, he pushed them open and they all stepped inside. "Second office, please." He ushered them forwards and sat them down on two chairs that were placed conveniently in front of his desk. It took him, being of old age, longer to sit down. He readjusted his glasses and then laced his hands together, resting them on his desk. Leaning forward, he said, "So please, girls, tell me exactly what happened yesterday in Hogsmade."  
  
Lily and Leah looked at each other, not quite sure whether to admit they had sneaked out of the castle into Hogsmade or not.  
  
"Well..." Lily started nervously.  
  
Dumbledore interrupted, "You need not tell me the whole story, just start from when you exited Zonkos."  
  
Lily and Leah fidgeted nervously, how did he know?  
  
"Ok, so, we heard this loud crash outside the store...so...uh, we checked to see what it was." Lily started off, still rather confused over the whole Dumbledore knowing thing.  
  
"Then there are these Death Eaters blowing everything up, people were screaming, everyone was injured, it was a horrible mess. Lily and I decide to run out of the shop and hide in an alley real close by." Leah stopped, not wanting to go on. Instead she looked at Lily and nudged her to tell him about that part.  
  
"Uhmm..." Lily felt horrible explaining this, afraid Dumbledore would make some judgment or punish her. She looked at him to see how he was taking things so far, and was not really surprised but more comforted to see him listening intently at every word they had said. Now with a slight bit more confidence, Lily continued, "So in the alley a thought came a cross my head that we needed to do something about it, anything. So I pulled out my wand and did the first thing I could think of: stunned one of the Death Eaters. It hit him, and he fell through a glass window. Leah and I couldn't tell what happened to him at first, but then other Death Eaters began to say he was dead. "  
  
Leah continued, sensing Lily didn't feel like explaining much, "Then we decided to run, but when we did one of the Death Eaters had seen the spell shoot from the alley, so they basically narrowed it down to us who had killed him. One of them started to come towards us with a sword, so we started to run. They kept chasing after us, and it took a long while before we were even able to stop. One of the ladies on the street stunned the Death Eater closest to us, and for a moment we thought there was no one else coming down to chase after us. I dont know her name, she only told us she was an Auror, but before she was able to remove the stunned Death Eater's hood, the 'mob' came around the corner and preformed the Killing Curse on her."  
  
Lily finished up the explanation, "So we ran, again, dodging and hiding behind stuff. Finally we decided to go into Honeydukes, and after uh...quickly warning the manager we went back to Hogwarts." She decided to leave out the fact that they took a secret passage back, because Lily figured if he knew about sneaking into Hogsmade and Zonko's, he would know that part as well.  
  
"And, can you tell me, do you have any suspensions as to who any of the Death Eaters were?" He asked curiously, strumming a quill against the table.  
  
Once again, Lily and Leah looked at each other. After a few seconds of silence, Lily spoke, "Well, the Death Eater knew who I was, so I was suspecting it was somebody from Hogwarts. But, again, I'm not sure of that."  
  
He nodded, "I see. Alright, is there anything else?"  
  
Leah suddenly recalled something and nudged Lily, "Letters." She mouthed to her silently.  
  
A spark went off in Lily's mind, and she pulled out three letters from her back pocket. They were all folded neatly, and she placed them on Dumbledore's desk.  
  
"I've been getting those letters quite often lately. The one on top I just got today." She said quietly.  
  
Leah looked at her, wide-eyed and in shock, and then turned to look at the letters. Dumbledore read them all quickly, inspecting each one carefully and taping them with his wand as to perform a spell.  
  
Finally he said sorrowfully, "I'm very sorry Miss. Evans that you had the misfortune to receive note one but three of these troublesome letters. They do make life rather dreary, don't they? I wont lie to you, just the fact you are receiving letters from Voldemort makes you in grave danger. As long as you take simple precautions though, common sense, I think you'll be fine. Just to make sure however, I'll raise Hogwarts security up a great deal. I don't think you should expect any more letters like that.." He smiled at her and Lily smiled back, overcome with joy.  
  
"Thank you, sir." Lily responded politely at his kind gesture.  
  
"No problem. Thank you very, very much for sharing this information with me girls. There was an Auror found dead in Hogsmade just yesterday, and nobody that was on the street at that time could remember what happened, probably from shock. But I believe we now know what happened to her, so sincerely, thank you."  
  
"You're welcome," they said in unison.  
  
He laughed, "You may be getting back to your Common Rooms, I'm guessing dinner is already over. But you, Miss Evans, I think you should pay a visit to the Hospital Wing, you're looking rather sick. Leah, I don't think I have to ask you to escort her, but just make sure Madame Chernechoff knows she's there."  
  
Leah nodded and helped a very tired and hungry Lily off her chair.  
  
"Goodbye Professor," they both said as they turned to leave.  
  
Dumbledore stood up, "Goodbye girls, be safe and take care."  
  
The doors slammed behind them and Dumbledore let out a long sigh. Those poor girls, they were too young to be dealing with business like this...

* * *

Ok, so this chapter is a few hours late and it is no longer my birthday, I know, but oh well!  
  
**Anyway, Guess who Is now legally allowed on fanfiction? I AM! HAHAHA!  
**  
I didn't really like this chapter, it was like a huge run on sentence, it all led into one another but nothing made sense and it was just so RANDOM! Oh well. That's okay. Tell me what you think an if you have any suggestions of how NOT to make it so random that would be greatly appreciated. I love you guys! 


	15. Black Lacy Knickers

Emerald Eyes

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that sounds familiar to you. **Sigh **WOW! I'm listening to Somebody Told Me, and when I wrote sigh they said SIGH. I think. o.O_

_

* * *

Previously_

_Leah nodded and helped a very tired and hungry Lily off her chair.  
  
"Goodbye Professor," they both said as they turned to leave.  
  
Dumbledore stood up, "Goodbye girls, be safe and take care."  
  
The doors slammed behind them and Dumbledore let out a long sigh. Those poor girls, they were too young to be dealing with business like this..._

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Fifteen: Lacy Black Knickers A chapter of shameless flirting**

Lily lay herself down on the stiff hospital wing bed, with James lying down in the next bed down.

"Madame Pomfrey will be here in a second," Leah said as she walked to the edge of their bed. "What did you guys **do** to get this sick?"

"We went swimming," James answered, his voice sounding funny from the cold.

"Skinny dipping?" Leah winked at Lily, who rolled her eyes.

"Eww, no. We just went swimming in the lake, with our clothes ON." Lily corrected, pulling the blankets over herself. "What were YOU guys doing in Hogsmade without us?"

"Sorry! The guys needed some stuff and weren't about to wait for you to get up. And I felt like tagging along, that's it. Sorry if we were out too long."

Leah acted calm and collected, but inside, she was bursting with laughter. True, the guys did need some supplies, but after that they went to the Three Broomsticks. There Leah began to talk about how she though Lily and James would be a perfect couple, and easily convinced the rest of the guys to think the same. With failure, they tried to come up with ways to get them to like each other. After realizing it was getting late, they got back to Hogwarts to find Lily and James sleeping on the same couch, looking incredibly angelic. How perfect.

"You look guilty, what'd you do?" James asked, and Leah realized she was grinning mischievously.

"What? Oh nothing, just thinking. Alright, well, I still have homework to do, and I think I hear Cher coming down now. Hope you two feel better by tomorrow." With a quick look down the hall, she waved and turned around, exiting quickly through the doors, leaving Lily and James suspicious.

"What do you think they really did?" Lily asked James.

"No clue. I don't feel like thinking," he whined.

Right on cue, Madame Chernechoff burst into the room, with two Pepper-Up Potions in her hand.

"Oh my dears! You look absolutely ghastly! You're going to be here for at least a day, probably a little more! Jesus, what are kids doing these days?" She scolded as she poured a Pepper-Up Potion into two separate cups. "Here, this will hopefully make you feel much, much better."

James and Lily waited a moment before gulping it down; they both knew the first effects of the Pepper-Up Potion. Yep, three seconds later, steam was pouring out of their ears, a burning sensation thriving in their mouth.

At a loss of words, they both just fanned their mouths furiously, their eyes burning.

Madame Chernechoff was pouring some ice-cold water into the cups she had previously filled, and the two patients hastily snatched it and drank it down quickly.

A pleasurable, refreshed feeling sizzled in their mouth, and they both sighed and relaxed, their cold symptoms for the most part numbed.

"James, it seems you caught the worst part of the cold! Here, take some of this; it'll have you a sleep in five minutes. You need your rest. Lily, I think it be best if you do without." She smiled and handed James a clear goopy liquid that looked incredibly disgusting. He drank it down anyway, and shuddered at the horrible taste. It tasted like…medicine. (A/N: NAAAAH!)

Madame Cher (as she preferred her patients to address her as) quickly placed a hand on their foreheads at the same time, and began click her tongue as soon as she removed it.

"Oh yes, sometimes the Pepper-Up Potion can increase your fever, yes, I think both of you should stay the night. Don't worry, tomorrow is Sunday so you wont miss any of your classes." The groaned, "And I'll have to make sure you have no visitors what so ever, because you two desperately need your rest. You have very high fever and just a few moments of disturbance and you two could be in here for weeks!" She began to ramble on and on, James and Lily both by this point completely ignoring her long rants about disturbing her patients, etc.

And finally, she ended her rant with a deep sigh and a warm smile, "If you need anything, do call. I'll be in the other room…" She rushed out of the room and into her office, where Lily wondered what she did in all her spare time. Her somewhat naughty, perverted thoughts were interrupted by James. They talked nonsense for about five minutes, until James randomly fell asleep in mid-sentence, probably from the medicine. Lily rolled her eyes, James could be so random at times. After closing her curtain, as well as his, she too slowly drifted off into sleep.

(A/N: Grrr….I had this really neat scene sorta, but then I realized it was too random and soon in the story, so I'm waiting till later to put it in)

James' vision was clear as soon as he opened his eyes, and with a groan he realized he slept with his glasses on. Come to think of it, he didn't remember much after Madame Cher finished her ongoing rambling. She had said five minutes right? Nothing much could have happened in that time, so he shrugged it off.

It was 6 in the morning, he realized, checking his watch. Behind his curtains he heard the sound of high heels clicking against the cold floor. Somebody, Mary no doubt, swung his curtains open. Without any hesitation, she pressed her lips firmly against his, and he faltered for a second from the shock. But, of course, he was James Potter, and he was soon letting his hands roam her back in the Hospital Wing. Mary could be so damn straightforward at times, it made you think twice about that innocent personality she exhibited. James felt a small shiver of a shock tingle in his body for a moment, but it had been nothing compared to what he had felt with her before when they had first kissed. But, that feeling never did last, did it? But it was pleasing none the less.

He heard the swinging of curtains, and with a groan he thought,_ "Lily's up…" _

"What the HELL?" Lily cried loudly, interrupting their little snogging session.

Mary broke away from James and cleared her throat, smoothing down her dress. James just pouted, disappointed that she had stopped it.

"Look, if you two are going to make out like savage animals, please do it sometime that's NOT early in the morning, in the Hosptial Wing, when there's PEOPLE trying to get there SLEEP! NOW I WONT BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO SLEEP!" She shouted at them, shocking them slightly. That's when they learned one of their lessons: You never, ever, disturb Lily's sleep with something like kissing.

"Oh come on, Lily-"

"Don't 'Oh come on' me, James. You're probably going to get HER sick as well and I'll be stuck with you two snogging your brains out for the REST OF MY LIFE!" She cried dramatically.

"Lily-"

"Ugh, you slutty…people…you." She interrupted lamely.

"EVANS! CALM DOWN!" James finally shouted, and Lily jumped from the shock of him using her last name.

"What?" She asked stubbornly.

"You're overreacting." James said calmly.

"No, I am not!" Lily exclaimed.

Mary wisely chose this moment to leave the Hospital Wing.

"Yes, you are!"

"Nah aha!"

"Yah-ha!"

"Oh shut up."

"I win!"

"No you don't! I was right, both of you ARE disgusting!"

"You never called us that!"

"YOU'RE DISGUSTING!"

"You're so immature!"

"Oh, and you're not?"

"At least I'm mature when it comes to DATING!"

"I have no problem with you DATING Mary just as long as you don't make out next to me WHILE I'M SLEEPING!"

"You're a bitch!"

"Cant think of anything original to shoot back? I win, _Potter._" She spat.

James just glared at her, and then pulled the curtains around his bed shut, and soon heard Lily do the same.

Lily crossed her arms, sticking her tongue out at James, even though he couldn't see her. That….bastard…how DARE he?

Of course, they both sadly knew they'd make up about an hour later, as much as they didn't want to at the moment. They both had a good point, they were just to proud and stubborn to agree on something. So they sat there in their beds, their arms crossed feeling cranky.

Then, a good while later, they both heard soft footsteps shuffling up to both their beds. Then a swish, and the voices got louder.

"James, Lily?" They heard Remus' voice ask.

"What?" They both asked at the same time.

Remus opened both their curtains and looked at them in an amused manner. "Why are you both looking incredibly cranky?"

They both pointed at each other, glaring daggers.

"Whoa, what happened?" Leah asked curiously.

"He," Lily stabbed a finger at James, "and MARY made out at SIX AM and WOKE ME UP! "

Everyone gasped and turned to James to hear his explination.

"She," he spat, "was being immature and freaking out, LIKE SHE HAD NEVER SEEN ANYONE MAKE OUT!"

They turned to look at Lily again, and Sirius grinned, "Somebody's jealous!"

"I am NOT in ANYWAY jealous of that STUPID WHORE!"

"SHE'S NOT A STUPID WHORE!"

"YES SHE IS!"

"NO SHE'S NOT!"

"YES SHE IS!"

"YOUR'RE JUST JEALOUS!"

"No I'm not!"

"YES YOU ARE!"

"I AM NOT!"

"YAH-HA!"

"Guys-" Remus tried to stop their little fight.

"SHUT UP!" They both shot at him.

"DON'T TELL REMUS TO SHUT UP!" James yelled at her.

"YOU TOLD HIM, TOO!" Lily shouted back.

"YOU'RE STUPID!" James replied.

"YOU'RE ANOYING!" Lily shot back.

"YOU'RE IMMATURE!"

"YOU'RE A BASTARD!"

"YOU'RE A SLUT!"

"YOUR'E SLEFISH!"

"YOU'RE UGLY!"

"YOU'RE A WHORE!"

"YOU'RE A FLOOR L ICKER!"

"YOU'RE A BOOGER NOSE!"

"YOU'RE A BUTT HEAD!"

"YOU'RE A JERK!"

"YOU'RE AN ASS!"

"YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE!"

The four visitors wisely chose this moment to walk away.

"YOU SMELL!"

"YOUR'RE A KNOW-IT-ALL!"

"YOU'RE NERDY!"

"YOU'RE A MOMMAS BOY!"

"YOU'RE A DADDY'S GIRL!" James said, forgetting who exactly her dad was.

Lily glared at him so hard he felt a shiver run down his spine.

"YOU'RE A BASTARD!"

"YOU'RE A SLUT!"

"YOUR'E SLEFISH!"

"YOU'RE UGLY!"

"YOU'RE A WHORE!"

"YOU'RE A FLOORL ICKER!"

"YOU'RE A BOOGER NOSE!"

"YOU'RE A BUTT HEAD!"

"YOU'RE A JERK!"

"YOU'RE AN ASS!"

"YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE!"

"STOP! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" Madame Cher stomped into the room, "This is NOT the kind of thing I want in my Hospital Wing, apologize to each other this instant!" She ordered sternly.

The two seventeen year olds just glared at each other, both their faces red in anger.

"RIGHT NOW!" She repeated.

"Sorry…"they both mumbled, not looking at each other in the eye.

"Like you mean it."

"Sorry," the said, clearer this time, but still not meaning it.

"You two have worked yourselves up with all that anger, I was going to let you go soon, you made a very fast recovery, but now… I think you should stay a little longer, just to double check." She said, a bit calmer now.

They both groaned impatiently. They'd do anything just to get out of this place, it was driving them nuts.

"We're fine!" Lily whined, and Madame Cher paid no attention.

"Just one more hour okay? Plus, you two need to work something out…in a calm way." She said, then walked out of the room back into her office.

They both sighed, waiting for the other to say they were sorry. Sneaking glances at one another stubbornly, they both decided they were going to prove themselves as the mature one and be the one to say sorry, just to prove their point.

"Lily-"

"James-" They said at the same time.

"You go first," Lily said.

"No, you go, its okay."

"I'm fine, what were you saying?"

"Seriously, you tell me first."

"No!"

"Fine, we'll say it at the same time." James proposed.

"Ok, on the count of three." Lily agreed.

"1."

"2."

"3!"

"Sorry!" They both said at the same time.

"You're forgiven." Lily sighed reluctantly.

"I guess you are too, then."

"So are we done fighting?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Good, wanna go to the kitchens and get a burger when we're done?" Lily asked.

"Hell yeah." James exclaimed, swinging his feet over the bed.

"Where are you going?" Lily asked.

"To the kitchens, Madame Cher wont care if we leave now. In fact, she'll probably forget." James shrugged, and Lily decided to come with him.

"Who knows what she does in that office of hers!" Lily laughed, nudging James in the stomach as they walked out of the Hospital Wing. James laughed back and elbowed her stomach just a little too hard, and Lily preceded to pus him into a wall, then James returning the favor. Somehow, they made it to the kitchens in one piece…

After getting their not-so-nutritious breakfast from the kitchens, they walked upstairs to the Gryffindor Common Room, where they found Leah Remus Sirius and Peter playing Exploding Snap.

"There you two are!" Sirius exclaimed, leaning back on two of the chair's feet, grinning madly at them.

"Is Sirius drunk?" Lily asked Remus, noting the look on his face.

"Nah, he's just feeling horny." Remus said offhandedly.

Lily and James put on a "I'm not dealing with him" face amd just sat down on the opposite side of the table.

"You guys want to play?" Leah asked, she had finished shuffling the cards.

Lily and James agreed, and they spent an hour or so talking while playing the exciting game. Peter asked why Lily and James were fighting and why they weren't now, and they just shrugged and replied with the excuse of 'they forgot to be angry'.

"Oh shit!" James jumped up, suddenly remembering something.

"What?" Sirius asked.

"I've got a date with Mary! Oh God I'm going to be late!" Without even saying goodbye, he swung the portrait open and clambered out. And judging from the sounds they heard taking place outside in the hall, he ran into a suit of armor in his hurry out.

"Well…that was…odd." Remus said after James was gone.

"He's fuckin obsessed with that girl! And she didn't even do anything special!" Sirius explained, mad his best friend was so worked up over a girl he didn't like.

Everyone else agreed, and the rest of the day was spent rather idly, just having a nice time. James wasn't back until late in the day, around 7 P.M. Lily was reading her Defense Against The Dark Arts textbook (she was very absorbed in this particular chapter) and sipping a huge mug of Butterbeer, when James glided in the room, grinning.

"Where've you been?" Lily said, looking up one quick time.

"With Mary. God I love that girl," he sighed as he plopped down on the couch next to her.

Lily began to choke on the Butterbeer the moment he said 'love'. She looked at him with ghastly wide eyes, still panting for breath. "E-excuse me?" She could not have heard right.

James went wide eyed and quickly began to stammer, "O-oh, oh no! N-not in THAT kind of way. Lily! Seriously! LILY LISTEN TO ME! I don't love her the way you're thinking…" he said stubbornly.

Lily just stared at him, was this the James she knew? For some reason she got a feeling that he was serious this time, or at least more serious than he had ever been. "Right." Was all she said, attempting to gulp down another sip of her glorious tasting drink.

"Really, I don't!" James was frustrated, why didn't she believe him?

Lily just nodded, "Whatever." Placing a bookmark on the page she finished at, she stood up. "I'm going to take a shower, the Hospital Wing is disgusting!" She shivered.

"Oh no, no, no, no!" James sprang up and grabbed her by the arm, "You are not going into that God-forbidin shower of yours."

"And why perfectly not?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Because, you spend hours in that thing!" He stated obviously.

"It'll be quick this time, in fact, you can time me. No more than fifteen minutes, and if it takes even one second longer you can go in there and look form e. Actually, no, you can just perform some crazy curse on me that'll embarrass the hell out of me, okay?" Lily negotiated, tugging him forward.

"Fine, fine! But hurry up!" He said, walking with her into her room, making sure she didn't take any extra time. "Fifteen minutes!" He shouted into the bathroom once she was in, and shut the door. James walked over to her bed and sat there, looking at his watch every thirty seconds, waiting patiently. Exactly 7 minutes and 23 seconds later, the water stopped.

Inside, Lily stepped out of the shower, grabbing her towel and wrapping it over her. She walked over to the place where she normally tossed her clothes and groaned in frustration when she remembered she hadn't even taken any clothes in! Sighing, Lily opened the door and poked her head out the door to see James sitting there on her bed.

"You ready YET?" He asked like an impatient five year old.

"Actually, I didn't get any clothes out, so could you like, shut your eyes for a moment so I can run in real quick?" She asked, slightly embarrassed even though James was just her friend.

"Don't you have a towel or something?"

"Yeah, but unlike you, I'm not going to walk around with it around my waist," she laughed, as did James.

"I have an idea, I'll get your clothes for you!" James suggested, feeling incredibly smart.

"How about no?"

Too late, James was already rummaging through her closet, yanking out skirts and jeans and shirts and coats onto the floor. After a moment of rummaging, he exclaimed, "AHA! Lily dearest, I have found your outfit!" He carried over her favorite jeans and shirt, handing it to her and bowing.

Lily rolled her eyes and laughed, "You're going to be a gay stylist someday, James." With that she closed the door behind her and turned around to get dressed, when she sighed again.

She opened the door for the second time, saying, "I think you forgot something."

"What?"

"Well, I like to wear undergarments. Which you didn't get." She ordered to her stylist.

"Oh come on," James whined, "do you HAVE to?"

Seeing Lily's intense glare, he backed off a little and ran to her wardrobe and searched for the dreaded undergarments.

"This is so gross," James shivered, still searching for them.

"You wouldn't have had to search for them if you had just closed your eyes!" She taunted jokingly.

"Here they are…I think. Damn, Lils, YOU wear THIS?" James said in pure shock. Who would have thought, innocent, tomboyish Evans would have THIS kind of underwear.

"Just grab some and hand it over! No big deal." She said, fidgeting slightly.

He came back with the typical kind of thing he'd bring back after rummaging through underwear and bra's. Something quite lacy Lily sweared she didn't remember.

Seeing the grin on his face, Lily snatched her things and closed the door, rolling her eyes. Men.

After quickly putting on her clothing, she stepped out of the bathroom, not caring to brush her hair. James was again, waiting for her on her bed, and as soon as she stepped out, James stood up as well.

"My, my, Lily. I'm never going to look at you the same again!" James winked teasingly, referring to the underwear incident.

Lily smacked him in the arm with an "Oh, shut up!" Added on to it.

Some might call it shameless flirting, but they both knew better. They were just being their normal, stupid selves.

"Oh, and Prefects Meeting tonight, remember?" He had suddenly remembered as he was waiting for her.

"Aww shit! Come on, let's go!" She grabbed his arm and dragged him down the stairs, and towards the prefect meeting.

The meeting went quite nicely, Lily thought. They just basically discussed future events for balls, parties, and Quiditch games. In the thirty minutes they had been talking, they all had decided upon definitely having a Halloween party of some sort, probably going to end up being a ball. But whether it was a masquerade and those kinds of details had not been worked out just yet. After James dismissed everyone, the Heads ran up to Dumbledore's office and ran the idea by him. Of course, he eagerly agreed, but told them they had to get right on planning.

So this is how their weeks came and went. Just hanging out, in the common rooms, the same old thing they did last week. There really wasn't a thing to do but talk to each other. So, it all went alright, all okay. (A/N/: I LOVE FEZ) September passed as quickly as it had come. It was now October, and people were already beginning to talk excitedly about the upcoming Holiday. James and Lily decided just the typical Hogwarts ball would have been good, but they didn't feel like doing that. Instead they decided to pull off a carnival! There would be pumpkin carving contests, costume contests, trick or treating, and even a dance going on inside for anyone who wanted that kind of thing. Lily and James thought they had come up with some really great ideas, and everyone was very excited.

With all the Head duties, Lily and James began to know each other even better than they had before, and it was actually pretty cool. Don't get me wrong; being friends with the Marauders was great, mostly because they were such great people. But the seven years of making fun and giving Lily and Leah a bad name still stuck with a large deal of people. There had even been some nasty rumors that Lily had made a potion to make James be friends with her, all for the attention. It was disgusting, just the thought, and was astonished when Professor McGonogall called Lily into her office to see if it was true.

Just like Dumbledore had promised, there were no more threatening letters from Voldemort. Instead, to replace that, she now got looks of absolute hatred whenever she passed most Slytherins, way more than usual. It gave Lily a very uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach. Leah decided she was going to stick around Lily all the time during the halls. To keep her company, yes, and because she too felt the nauseous feeling in her stomach whenever Lily was glared at. And plus, what else were friends for?

It was a rather cold fall Saturday morning when Lily and Leah found themselves studying for a Herbology test that they had heard to be incredibly tough. They were both deeply absorbed in their books, trying to memorize ever single detail. That's why they jumped when they heard hard fists slamming themselves on their desk. Looking up, their gaze was met by two furious looking Slytherins. Malfoy and one of his buddies, Craybe was it? Lily couldn't tell his little minions Craybe and Goyle apart.

"Well, well, well, if its not the pathetic half-blood and the filthy Mudblood?" Malfoy sneered.

Lily and Leah both rolled their eyes, used to the attention. Lily flipped them the bird while returning to her book, "Fuck off Malfoy." She said rather casually.

They both let out a laughter that Leah thought (and had expressed many times) sounded like pigs chocking.

"Look at the poor little piece of shit trying to defend herself! Your boyfriend isn't here to save you, what now?" Malfoy sniggered.

Leah glared at them, "What do you want. You're annoying the hell out of me."

"Well, well, the mutt decided to speak up!" Malfoy began to eye Leah in a way that made the two girls feel very uncomfortable.

"Go to hell, Malfoy. Now, Leah, lets just meet up and study somewhere else after dinner. I can't concentrate with this horrible stench clogging up the room." She didn't look at Malfoy, but the two girls just stood up and left as if the Slytherins hadn't been there in the first place.

"First empty classroom near the Great Hall, eight o'clock." Leah said to Lily as they walked off.

As soon as they were out of sight, Malfoy began to snigger, "Hey Goyle," he said to his friend, "I just came up with a perfect plan."

* * *

Ahh, so how did you folks like the chapter? I know they're flirting, they have a lot of bathroom incidents don't they? Ha. But incase you were wondering, no, they still don't have any feelings for each other (BULLSHIT, they just haven't realized it).

So, people, pay my livejournal a visit! I get very bored and would LOVE to talk to you guys, you're all the best. My username is PurplePolkaDuck . Hehe :)

**Crimson Girl- **Thank ya! Thanks for reviewing, im glad you like my fic.

**Manny**- Aww thanks :)Hehe. Anyway, you're first person I've met that has the same birthday as me, even though I know there's plenty. Thanks for reviewing :)

**Child-Of-Scorpio**- No. No it didn't. Stupid computers, I hate when they screw up. Its annoying. And then yeah, when I get kicked off the computer. I wish I had my own computer, but nah, that's not happening anytime soon! Lol. I'm glad you liked the chapters, yeah, I like bathroom scenes. Here was another one for ya :D Ah okay, I understand about the tea thing. Alright, just making sure, because that's what a lot of Americans think. Same with the Australian cliché. What do the British stereotype Americans as? That'd be pretty interesting to see what other countries look at us like. Thanks for reviewing!

**Angel- **I'm a slight bit confused, are you saying to update soon or did you think that was the end of the story? Because if you think it's the end of the story, DEFFINETLY NOT! And if not here's your update J thanks for reviewing either way!

** FreckledIrishMaiden-** Wow! **blushes **Thanks for the comments! Woops. I missed that! Thanks for reviewing, I shall take care of that right now! Oh yesh, and your other review. Yeah I'm four days into being thirteen blushes again Very flattering! I've been writing since I was four, I've got these really cute poems from…cough ah, right, never minds! Again, thanks for reviewing!

**Lily**- Thanks for the constructive criticism! You're right, I just make them fall asleep when I want the day to sort o go by quickly but don't know what to occupy them with. Well, the only time other than during the night that I make them go to bed is because Lily had/is having those weird dreams. And by Mary and James in the gang, do you mean Mary to be accepted in or just for her to tag along with everyone? Because they're good ideas! Thanks for reviewing! I'll make sure to keep these things in mind!

**Chrissy8887779999-** Wow, that's a LOT of numbers. Hehe, thanks for reviewing! Ah, Mary's HUGE stupidity will shine around the end of the story, sadly, but she'll be jealous quite soon though and do quite some drastic stuff. Thanks for reviewing!

**sour-peach**- Aww, thanks for reviewing!


	16. Empty Classrooms

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: I'll keep it simple: I don't own Harry Potter sigh_

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_Previously_

_"First empty classroom near the Great Hall, eight o'clock." Leah said to Lily as they walked off. _

_As soon as they were out of sight, Malfoy began to snigger, "Hey Goyle," he said to his friend, "I just came up with a perfect plan."_

* * *

**_WARNING: This is THE chapter. There WILL be rape in this chapter, if you didn't know. Just warning you, but don't worry, its not descriptive._**

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**Chapter Sixteen: Empty Classrooms**

Remus' hand trailed down Leah's arms, making them both shiver. Leah leaned her heads towards his and kissed him lightly on the lips, wrapping her arms carefully around his neck. God, she loved Remus to death. There was no doubt in her mind that she was crazy in love with him, and always would be. Even those times when they weren't going out, she still had felt the aching desire to be close to him. They were sitting on the couch, Leah placed in Remus' lap comfortably. Leah leaned her head on his warm chest, while Remus entertained himself with her brown hair.

"Remus?" Leah asked, looking up at him.

"Mhmm?"

"I love you," Leah smiled, her eyes sparkling energetically.

Remus smiled down at her, "I love you too." He leaned forward, kissing her soft lips, making Leah smile, and quite pleased. He pulled himself in again for another kiss, this one free of the innocence the other one had possessed.

They broke apart for a second, "What time is it?" She breathed in between the kiss.

He began to kiss her teasingly again, twirling her hair in his hands. For a second Leah thought he wasn't going to answer, when he said into her lips, "Seven fifty, why?"

Remus was about to dive down yet again, when Leah immediately stood up, startling Remus and making him jump. She flattened her hair, "Oh shit, I told Lily I'd meet her to study."

Remus groaned, "Oh come on, five for minutes." He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling back down on his lap, not wanting to let his girlfriend out of his reach. He loved the way her lips fit perfectly to his, the way she could guess his every move and find something to match it just as well. She was about to give in, when she thought of the fit Lily would throw afterwards.

"Remus," Leah whispered, "Really, I have to go now."

Remus sighed, "Fine. But don't study too hard, we'll finish this afterwards." Remus winked at her, and Leah winked back.

"Of course, bye love." She kissed him quickly on the cheek before standing up walking off.

"Bye." He called to her back, and he leaned back on the couch, watching her walk through the doorway. He felt a sense of regret as he saw her go through the portrait, and his instinct told him something just wasn't right.

* * *

Leah was humming, walking down to the Great Hall, daydreaming about her boyfriend, Remus. She sighed, he was the sweetest, most romantic thing ever. By habit, she looked at her wrist where normally her watch would be, and with a groan remembered she still had to fix it. Oh well, she'd do it after her study session with Lily and make-out session with Remus. There was nobody in the Great Hall, dinner had ended thirty minutes ago, and yet she was still about ten minutes early.

The first empty classroom was dark and sort of dusty, but Leah liked it especially for studying. There was a table, chairs, and an old trunk that was hidden off to the corner, and nothing else to get distracted with. Leah stepped inside and looked around to see if any the candles were lit, but only darkness met her eyes. She sighed and slid the bag off her back and onto the table, opening it up trying to find her wand by the light from the Great Hall. As she rummaged her hand inside, Leah realized it felt empty, very empty.

"Shit," she cursed; she had left the parchment and quills with Remus! Well, it was too late to go back now; maybe the trunk would have something in it. Leah walked over to it, lifting up the lid, coughing at all the dust it spit out. When was the last time somebody opened this thing?

An uncomfortable shiver going down her spine immediately made Leah stop what she was doing. She stood up straight and looked around the cold, dark, empty room. Although she couldn't see anyone, she could feel their presence. In what seemed like a distant whisper, she heard the sound of the door creaking shut, and all light fleeing the room. And suddenly the room got cold, very cold….

* * *

He strutted through the halls, as other students walked closer to the walls as he came by. He sneered, they were all cowards. Clenching his fists, he thought angrily about the girl hadn't been answering their letters, but he suspected she clearly remembered the last one that she had received. And now, it was that time; the time to pay. And if he had learned one thing in all his years of Hogwarts about Lily Evans it was this: if you were going to make a lasting impression on her, if you were really going to make her pay, you don't even touch her. All her emotions lied in the presence of others. If you hurt anyone she cared about, her heart would shatter. If you hurt her…she'd suck it up and kick you in the balls...sometimes just mentally.

He checked his watch, five 'till. He had seen Leah walk into the classroom, and was glad that nobody was around. Just to see what she was doing, he peered into the dark room; surprised she hadn't lit the candles yet. Oh well, better for him.

Leah could sense him watching her, which he could tell by the way she was looking around nervously. He wasn't nervous about doing this, his master had instructed him too, and he would never let him down. Plus, Leah wasn't that bad looking, either. Slyly, he slipped into the room, closing the door behind him as he did so. The room dissolved into darkness immediately, and Leah never even got to see his face…

* * *

Lily glanced at her watch, ten minutes 'till eight, she'd be on time. Grabbing her sweatshirt, she tied it around her waist.

"Liiiillly….." She heard James drawl, as he stumbled into her room.

Lily rolled her eyes, James had had too many Sugar Quills today and he was in a very…hyper mood.

"Whaaaaat?" She asked in the same fashion.

"Nothing."

Seconds later.

"Lily?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Ok."

"Lily?"

"WHAT?"

"Nothing!"

"Ok!"

"….Lily?"

"WHAT?"

"Jesus, nothing! Don't get your black lacy knickers all up in a twist!" He taunted, and Lily sighed. She would never hear the end of this.

"Oh shut up!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

"Can I have a hug?" He asked, extending his arms at her.

"No!"

"Why NOT?" He pouted.

"You're being mean."

"Just give me a hug!" He repeated, exaggerating the hand movements.

"No…" she said, a little more meekly this time.

"Come on!" He put on his pleading puppy dog eyes, and she sighed.

"Okay, come here." She gave up lamely, and he jumped up and wrapped her in a breath-taking hug (because he was choking her) that sent shivers throughout her body (this was actually her arms and legs falling asleep from lack of circulation).

"You can let go now." She suggested, tapping his shoulder.

He let her go and plopped back on her bed, resuming his position.

"You're so weird." Lily mumbled, shaking her head.

"Oh, and you're NOT! That's a lie if I ever heard one." He retorted.

"I'm not weird, I'm just cool."

"No, hun, you're weird."

"James Potter, did you just call me HUN?"

"Girlfriend to girlfriend, I think those jeans look fab on you!" He giggled in a girly tone.

"Holy shit! James, you've lost it."

"Girl, you've lost it! Those pants DO look fab but that shirt looks drab. "

"Oh, what is this, the return of the stylist from hell?" She asked, remembering the similar incident that involved James Potter picking out her clothes.

"Come on, give me a HUG!" He randomly started again, and Lily knew better this time.

"Oh no, oh no, no, no! Goodbye James Potter, I'm leaving!" She said quickly, running down the steps and flinging open the door and into the hall.

"I want HUG!" James cried and ran after her, catching up to her and wrapping his arms around her, his hands slowly crawling down her sides like spiders.

"James? What are you doing? James…James? JAMES!"

He instantly began tickling her stomach, and Lily burst into satisfying peels of laughter, wanting to fall backwards, but James' tight grip keeping her up.

"James, let me go!" She squealed, and he finally complied to her request and stopped tickling her. She panted for breath, looking at him. He pressed his face into her neck, making her look at him with a weirder look that he had been receiving before. For those of you who think that these actions were motivated by romantic interest in Lily, you're wrong (sadly). James Potter was a flirt, Lily Evans was female, so it was just natural for him, even if they were just really good friends. Lily didn't mind it, and she actually played the part back very well, but it was only because she knew he was joking. And it wasn't only on Lily, he occasionally made suggestive comments at Leah and things like that, but it wasn't as fun when the person had a boyfriend.

Around Hogwarts, this grew to be a very common sight: Lily and James laughing together. Also hugging, tickling, talking, kicking and fighting. It made some of the girls in school hate Lily even more, and made Mary extremely jealous, which was an uncommon thing for her. Lily did things with HER boyfriend that Mary hadn't even seen him do before. Of course, Mary did things with James that Lily didn't get to do, if you know what I mean, but Lily didn't want to do those things! That's why it was different, Mary wanted to, but Lily didn't!

Lily laughed, "Ok, James, I'm five minutes late for my study date with Leah. Will you please let me go now?"

"No," he said into her neck, making her surprisingly shiver.

"C-come on, Leah's going to wonder what happened to me. Then what am I going to say? James was holding me hostage?"

"Works for me," he said, not moving.

Lily just sighed and walked forward, James hanging onto her while they walked.

"James," she hissed, "someone's going to see us!"

"So?"

"They're going to think we're…doing something…" she said awkwardly.

"So?" James repeated.

"SO? They wont believe us when we say for the billionth time we're just friends."

"But we are,"

"Of course, I know that. But they don't. And the fact that it looks like you're kissing my neck doesn't help much, either."

"I'm not kissing your neck,"

"No duh, I think I could tell if you were. Now will you please remove your face from my neck." She sighed.

James sighed, Lily's neck was so warm and surprisingly comfortable and he was feeling lazy.

"Now, or I'll use that tickling charm on you until you burst from laughter…literally." She threatened, and although James wasn't particularly scared, decided it was time to stop pretending to flirt with his best friend.

"Ok, fine, since you put it in those words." He lifted his head and stretched, and began to walk in front of her.

"Where are you going?" Lily asked.

"Escorting you to your empty classroom. I want to make sure you're really not sneaking away with some Hufflepuff boy instead…" he teased, and Lily smacked his arm.

They ran down the steps to the Great Hall in silence, and were suddenly confused when their eyes saw a large group of people standing around, looking deeply concerned. As soon as they entered the tense atmosphere, their bodies chilled over and their hearts began to sink…and they hadn't even learned what happened yet.

Almost all the teachers in Hogwarts were there, all speaking to one another in hushed voices, others searching the area high and low. They saw Dumbledore sitting wearily on one of the tables, his brows deeply furrowed, looking older than Lily had ever seen him.

"What's going on?" Lily whispered to James, knowing he didn't have the answer either.

They walked forward in silence, mouths gaping open, and it suddenly hit her, where was Leah? Panic began to surge through her body, her heartbeat quickening. Where WAS she? Was she, too, late? They were supposed to meet in that classroom that was fogged over by adults. Something was very wrong.

She rushed forward, tugging James along with her, until she was in the mass of people herself. They all chose to ignore her presence, and she tried to find McGonogall, Lily didn't dare go up and talk to Dumbledore. Lily and James paused, taking in the scene. Well, there wasn't much to take in with your eyes, but there was a damp feeling in the air that took you a long while to absorb.

Lily was watching Dumbledore silently with her eyes, hoping his actions would clue her into what was happening…and to where Leah was. Responding to her silent questioning, Dumbledore stood himself up, and glided gracefully over to the doorway where he stood towering above a hunched over figure….Remus.

It seemed both Lily and James realized it was their friend at the same time, they both gasped and pushed through the crowd and over to the door. Now, Lily did not want to know what was happening. What was making Remus like this…his shoulders were trembling…was he crying?

Dumbledore just seemed to notice Lily and James were there, but Remus completely ignored their presence.

"Lily, James," he said sorrowfully.

"What happened?" Lily interrupted, her voice shaking. "Where's Leah?"

"I'm a afraid there was…this is very hard for me to say to you, both…" There was no twinkle in his eyes, and it made Lilly quite sick.

James looked down at Lily, her face pale in shock that hadn't arrived, and then to Remus, who he knew for a fact was crying. He'd seen Remus cry plenty times before, believe it or not, but never like this…James knew, and he sensed Lily knew as well, that Leah was either in serious danger or…

He didn't want to think about it. Instead he put an arm around her stomach, he knew that she'd probably be feeling very weak in a moment or so, and he just hoped he could take the news himself…

"We found her unconscious on the floor, well, actually, your friend Remus here did."

They looked at him, no wonder he was such a mess…but, what had he seen?

"Is she…?" Lily trailed off, a huge lump in her throat making it hard for her to speak.

"No, Miss. Evans, thank heavens she's not. We found a pulse on her…but she is very, very much injured."

Lily's eyes watered up, and she tried to sniff them back. James felt her go weak in the knees as he suspected, and he held her up. James felt a knot in his throat, but tried to keep it down for Lily…and Remus' sake.

"What happened?" James asked, knowing it was what Lily wanted to know most, but did not want to ask it.

At this moment, Professor McGonogall arrived, and her lips curled downward into a frown as she saw Remus crying, Lily near tears, and James struggling to keep a strait face. She nodded towards Lily and James, and just looked sadly at Remus, and then turned to Dumbledore.

"Albus, the ministry wants a few words with you…" She said quietly.

Dumbledore nodded and turned to the kids, "I'm so sorry. Leah is such a wonderful person…its a shame this had to happen. I'll be back to talk with you all, for now, Minivera, please tell them what happened." Dumbledore bowed and walked over to yet another group of people with curious, scared looking faces.

They could tell by the look on her face that she sincerely did not want to, but knew she had to, "I…I don't know how to say this. We suspect, we're not sure. Somebody, no suspects have been named….uh...oh dear God how do I say this…he had…he had his way with her, if-if you know what I mean. I'm sorry, I know she is a very close friend to you. " She repeated before reluctantly continuing, "Then we suspect he knocked her out and beat her up….we don't know if there was an intention of killing her or not but it is a miracle she's alive." Professor McGonogall put a hand on Lily's shoulder as Lily began to cry.

Lily's head was spinning uncontrollably; she could hardly feel the Professor's hand on her shoulder, or James' arm around her stomach. All she could think of was, "This cant be happening! They're lying! Not my Leah, not my Leah!" She wasn't very aware of the fact she was streaming out tears, just aware of the sinking emotion she was feeling in her heart. It was the first time she had ever felt pain so strong, ever. So hard in fact it hurt your brain to even think of a good description to fit, something words couldn't begin to cover.

What seemed like hours later (which was only a minute or so), she remembered Remus. Remus loved Leah to death, and Lily knew that for a fact. Not only that, he had found her! He must have been feeling just as bad, maybe even worse than Lily. She grabbed James' arm and slowly pushed it away, James easily letting her go. For a moment, Lily thought she was going to fall over from feeling so bad, but instead walked forward a few steps before falling down next to Remus. She scooted backwards, placing her back against the wall and just looking at him for a while, biting her lip. Then Lily leaned over and wrapped him up in a huge hug, wanting to give him all the comfort she could give him, which was hard when she had hardly any. Remus finally noticed his surroundings and looked up to find Lily there, hanging on tight to him, crying as well. If it not had been for the dreadful circumstances, he would have smiled at her. Instead, Remus just returned her hug, squeezing her tight, knowing if anybody were to understand what he was going through, it would be her.

And that's exactly how it went for another five minutes, nobody budged. Remus and Lily crying and hugging, Professor McGonogall looking grave, and James staring off into space, trying to keep a straight face. Why he was trying to keep a straight face, he honestly didn't know, he just was. And James wasn't in the mood to think about it, either. He was just shocked, scared, confused, and afraid. Finally, Lily and Remus broke apart, and Lily stood up, leaning against the wall.

"Where is she?" Lily more ordered, not asked.

"She's already been taken away to a hospital near by-"

"Let me see her!" She cried, and Professor McGonogall bit her lip.

"I'll see what I can do," she nodded and ran off to search for someone. Moments later she came back with a man, maybe in his mid forties, looking disappointed.

"Hello, would you be Miss. Evans?" He asked, shaking her hand as she nodded.

"I want to go see Leah," she repeated.

He shook his head, "I'm sorry Miss. Evans, I don't think that's possible,"

Lily wasn't sure whether to pull out her wand and curse him till he let her, or what.

"WHAT?" She exclaimed angrily.

"I'm sincerely sorry, but we have strict laws for these situations, and I have to make sure Leah gets no company for at least a week. And then only family can see her."

"But I'm like family to her! Please sir, you don't understand!" She cried, this was so freakin unfair! Lily and Leah were like sisters separated at birth, then they were telling her she had to wait one week the very least to see her after she had a near death experience? It wasn't right. And if she knew Leah, which she sure as hell did, Leah wouldn't speak to any of those bastards until she saw Remus or Lily. Period.

"I'm very sorry, but please just hold on one week. Trust me, Leah will be absolutely fine." How was she supposed to trust THEM? She didn't even know them and they were taking away her Leah!

"No, let me see her!" She stubbornly declared again.

"There's nothing I can do about it, I'm sorry, I don't make up the rules! But Leah is staying the best hospital for these situations and she'll be as good as new." He said sincerely, he hated delivering these talks.

"How long will she be there?" Lily asked, wiping her eyes.

"Well…she can begin to leave the hospital around December-"

"DECEMBER?"

"But can't permanently leave until later in the year, but before school ends." He closed his eyes, he did not want to see this girls reaction.

"WHAT?" She screamed, causing many people to jump and look over at her, "This isn't fair!" She said in a quieter voice, beginning to cry all over again.

"I'm very, very sorry. I'll make sure Dumbledore tells you how she's doing and when you can visit her. My best of luck to you, all." He said sincerely, eyeing Remus and James, and then he bowed. Swiftly turning around, he walked back and got lost in the mass of people very quickly.

There was a moment of awkward silence until Professor McGonogall finally spoke up, "I think you all should be getting back to your rooms now. Do...do any of you need to go to the Hospital Wing?" She asked cautiously, and everyone shook their heads.

"Good. We'll talk to you tomorrow morning, probably after breakfast. Again, I'm very sorry this situation had to happen to someone as great as Leah. We'll do our best to find who did this to her, we're having Ministry Officials on it. Things will get better." She spoke softly, and they all nodded. Remus finally looked up, his eyes red and blotchy.

With a sad smile, the professors walked away, leaving three angry and devastated teenagers on their own.

"Come on Remus," James walked over and stuck a hand out to help his friend up, and Remus eagerly took it.

He too seemed a little dizzy, but soon got re-adjusted and slowly walked to the stairs of the Great Hall. Lily, who was still silently crying was on his right, and James was on his left. They all stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked at each other solemnly.

"God, this sucks." James said impatiently, kicking the railing with his foot. Everyone else just nodded, half listening to what he was saying.

"Remus?" Lily asked, and Remus looked up.

"If you need to talk, if you need anything at all, I'm here. I miss Leah a lot, too." She said, sniffing loudly.

James nodded, saying he too would be there for him.

"Thanks guys, I will. I just…I just need some time alone, okay?" Remus said sadly, his voice cracking.

"Sure." Lily gave him one last consoling hug, and James gave him a reassuring pat on the back. Remus turned around and headed for the Astronomy Tower. Lily and James turned around and went up the stairs to the Heads room.

The walk up had gone quicker than she had imagined, and once they were inside her room she just wanted to fall over on the floor and not give a damn 'till things were better. Instead she mustered up the power to run across her room and jump on her bed, stuffing her face under pillows, where she suddenly began to cry uncontrollably, choking on her tears and gasps for needed breath.

James always had sucked with crying girls, and for some reason, it was always the same girl who ended up crying around him. He walked slowly forward to her bed, thinking of ways to make her feel better. Instead he just sat at the foot of her bed, listening to her loud sobs that were just slightly muffled through the pillows.

It was tight for air under the heap of pillows, put Lily didn't care. She just cried and let it all out, hardly caring that James was sitting there, probably watching her. This was so unfair! Leah was her best friend in the whole wide world, she loved her, and now they were taking her away from Lily just when Leah needed her most! And worse than that, something had happened to Leah! Some ungrateful sick minded person 'had his way' with her! If she knew who it had been, she'd go right up to them and kill them with her bare hands, hurt them until they felt all the pain they had caused to the world. Lily began to frantically think up ways to kill that undeserving person, but soon stopped when she heard James call her name.

"Lils?" James asked softly.

"What?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"Come out,"

Lily did so, quite reluctantly, and rubbed her eyes, sniffing. Her hair was probably a mess, but she didn't mind…

James walked over to her and sat next to her on the bed, studying her face.

"Give me a hug," he said, this time, much more sentimental and sympathetic. At first Lily felt like slapping him across the face…and then she realized…she could rather use a hug.

So instead, she crawled over to him, sitting herself on his lap, and wrapping her arms around his neck, as he held her close. Immediately, she began to cry again, soaking James' shirt with her salty tears.

"Leah's hurt! She needs me, and now they wont let me see her…" Lily said in between sobs, pressing her head against his chest in hopes it would somehow make her feel better.

"And I'm scared for her, and I'm worried. I miss her and it's just not fair that this happened to her! She didn't deserve it! And why?" She continued on, it felt so good telling somebody how you felt.

"It's okay Lily, she'll get better." James whispered, stroking her head, trying to make her calm down.

"And…and…I hope she's alright." Lily said, a bit softer this time, she was running out of things to say.

"Me too,"

There was a very comfortable silence, when James asked, "Do you want your alone time now?" He asked, and Lily nodded.

"Thanks James." Lily said gratefully, enjoying the warmth of his chest and arms around her cold body.

"You're welcome." He mumbled, looking down at her. He let go of her, and Lily lowered her arms and crawled off his lap. She lay down in her bed, this time with her head resting on top of the pillows.

"Good night, and don't worry, Leah's going to be fine." James said to her, leaning in and kissing her on the forehead.

"Ok, Goodnight James." Lily whispered, rolling over.

James walked away, flicking off the lights in the process, and into his own room. He was about to lock it when he decided to leave it open, just in case she needed something during the night. He didn't bother to get into any pajamas; he just took off his shirt and pants and climbed into bed in his boxers.

His mind wandered to thoughts about Leah and hopes she would get better, to Remus, to Sirius, and to Lily. James remembered the scene in her room, and fidgeted uncomfortably in his bed. Yeah, Lily and him were just friends, nothing more, but for some reason he felt guilty when he thought about Mary, as if he was cheating on her. He hadn't gotten to spend a lot of time with her in a while, he had been to busy with Lily. Now he really felt guilty.

He wasn't quite sure what time he fell asleep, or at what thought, because although he knew he was wrong, it seemed like almost minutes later when he heard his door creak open. James knew who it was; it was Lily, but he remained still and quiet just out of curiosity.

* * *

Lily could not sleep, her room was too dark for her to see anything, and she kept thinking someone was in the room with her. Every time she turned on the light, she saw nothing, but when she turned it off, she was scared again. And sadly, she also tried going to sleep with the light on, but that didn't work either. Thoughts and images of Leah were twisting around in her mind. It sickened her to think that Leah was in a hospital bed, in some hospital, scared to death. She hated hospitals, just the thought of them made her shiver. Sure, great things happened in hospitals, she knew, but the only experiences she had ever had with them added to the discomforting thoughts.

So, Lily decided to go and sleep in James' rooms, as wrong as that may sound. Or maybe just talk to him, but she couldn't stand to be alone. Holding her breath, Lily flung her legs over the side of her bed and carefully stood up. She ran towards the door, not wanting to spend another moment in the dark room alone. She creaked the door open very slowly and tiptoed in, realizing he was asleep and not wanting to wake him up. Lily ran to the side of the bed and carefully inched onto the bed, shuffling through the covers until she reached James, not noticing he was awake.

Holding her breath, she poked him softly, "James? Wake up."

James rolled over, pretending to wake up, "What?" He asked in a groggy voice.

"Sorry for waking you u-"

"Its okay! No problem, I don't mind. Now what's up?" James interrupted her unneeded apology.

Lily sighed in relief, "Ok. Uh, well, I was a little freaked out in my room, alone. So I was wondering if I could sleep in your room tonight. Its just tonight, I wont make a habit of it." Lily asked sheepishly, ashamed of being seventeen years old and that afraid.

"No problem Lils, you can sleep here. The couch is also open if you don't want to share the bed." He suggested.

"It's okay, I'll stay here." She said nervously.

"Alright, do you want to talk? Or sleep?" He asked her.

"Sleep, I haven't been able to."

"Okay then, good night Lily-"

"Actually James?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I have another hug?"

James smiled sadly, but Lily wasn't able to see that. He hugged Lily tightly, her head resting on his shoulder, hugging him back. Ah, how bad did it sound NOW? Lily was in his bed, he had nothing but boxers on, and was hugging her…very tightly. It sounded bad, he knew it wasn't, but these guilty thoughts and feelings were beginning to bother him. But he continued hugging her till she broke apart.

"Good night James." She said, falling backwards on the bed.

"Night," he mumbled, adjusting his pillow before plopping onto it.

It was late into the next day when their long restful sleep was disturbed by loud knocking on the door. Lily's eyes sprung open, and found herself staring at unfamiliar walls. This wasn't her room. She sat up quickly, and an arm slung across her waist reminded her of where she was, in James' room. She looked over at James' sleeping body and with embarrassment realized he was only wearing boxers. Lily wasn't quite sure why she found it embarrassing, but it might have been because someone was knocking on the door to get in and James was practically on TOP of her. Or at least his arm was…but it still didn't look very modest!

"James? Sweetie? Are you in there?" The familiar dreaded voice of Mary was heard from outside the door. Who on earth let her in? Probably Sirius…the stupid idiot.

Lily began to shake James violently, trying to wake him up. Sure enough, it worked, and James' eyes shot open, the suddenness making Lily jump a little. James yawned and looked up to see Lily, who was beginning to eye something nervously. He followed he gaze lazily and quickly caught on with the fact his arm was thrown over her waist. Quickly taking his arm off her, he too sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"JAMES!" Mary shouted in, very frustrated.

James jumped in shock, "Oh shit," he whispered.

He hastily rolled out of bed, running over to his wardrobe and randomly snatching a pair of jeans and a shirt. Tripping over a Quiditch Servicing Kit, he stumbled over to where Lily was, who was still in bed, the blankets covering up half her body.

"Get out of bed! I'm going to let Mary in." He hissed at her, and Lily rolled her eyes and stood up.

"She probably left already, you took so long…"

In a huge rush, James grabbed Lily by the waist, picking her up, opening the door to her room (remember, there are two doors!) and tossing her on her bed, and exiting as quickly as he came. Lily rolled her eyes at her friend, always so insistent on getting things done his way. She sat up, wondering what the time was. Looking at her watch, it read 12:20….12:20?? What were they doing sleeping so late?

Then it all rushed back to her. Leah…. raped…gone. Then in an instant, a flood of emotions caught up with her, knocking her over completely. And Lily burst into tears all over again, slamming her face down on the pillows, kicking her feet wildly into the mattress. Red marks stained her eyes as she continued to cry like a little child, angry with the messed up way everything worked around here. The pain in her heart throbbed uncontrollably, and she doubted it would go away anytime soon. God, she was so lucky to have a friend like Leah, she had been helping her so much lately…and now, when it was Lily's turn to help her, she wasn't able to. God damnit, Lily was convinced at the moment that nothing was fair in life. Nothing.

Lily sighed and lifted her head up, she had a feeling she was going to have these fits on and off for a very long time. She turned over, looking up at the canopy hanging over her bed and sighed, wondering what Leah was doing at the moment. Leah, Leah, Leah, she'd probably never leave Lily's mind alone. Until they'd be able to talk, Lily would never completely trust anything anyone said about what was going on, she had to hear it directly from her best friend's mouth.

The recent events had worn Lily down, and she was convinced she would not be in the mood to go to school for…well…a while. It probably was because she was certain she would not be able to concentrate when something in the back of her mind was swirling with strong uncertainty. She could hardly even concentrate on her own thoughts! But, that could have also been because of the loud kissing noises coming from the room next to her. That was quite annoying, as well. Stupid James….

And she found herself with a dilemma of boredom, and she began to miss Leah even more. If she was bored, Leah would do something about it and they'd come up with some stunningly genius idea that would keep them entertained for a day. But without her, Lily felt like she lost part of herself. Was Leah feeling the same, just magnified about a billion times? Lily hoped not.

Come to think of it, she wasn't really even in the mood to talk to anyone else. Not Sirius, Remus, or even James. She just didn't feel like doing anything except lying down in her bed looking at the ceiling. She didn't want to talk about her problems; she didn't even want to think about them, she didn't want to do anything. Lily hoped this phase would pass soon, because she could see she'd become even more bored than she was already, as hard as it is to believe that. It was moments like these she wish she could just temporarily disappear off the face of the earth, like the most deep, dreamless sleep even a potion couldn't give you. And when you woke up, it was just literally a second after you had closed your eyes in the first place.

And just like Lily had predicted, a week flew by in the same way. She got two days off, and she spent them reading, lying down in bed and thinking, and hardly ever talking. James and Sirius had made several attempts to strike up a conversation, but like the last time they had tried, she hadn't been in the mood. However she made an exception when Remus came to talk, because he was probably feeling exactly like she was. Lily wasn't sure if he, too, had been distant and tired for the past week, because they only talked twice. It had been about thirty minutes, each conversation, but it was sort of relaxing.

The days she was forced to go to school were a complete drag. She could not concentrate on anything any of the professors were saying, and she got a C on her Herbology test! Ok, it might not seem that bad, but in the world of Lily Evans, a C was like failing N.E.W.T.S. …Twice. And to top it all off, in general, the whole student body was making it a point not to talk to her, even if they wanted to insult her. They just didn't know how to act around someone whose best friend had been raped. And Lily was glad they didn't know how, because they were doing just great not knowing. She enjoyed not being bothered at all.

The meeting with Dumbledore had gone okay, Lily thought. It had started out with them telling everything they knew about what had happened. Lily told them about Malfoy and the library, which she was now starting to think played a huge part. Dumbledore however said without solid evidence, they would not even be able to put anyone down as a suspect. If Leah told them what face she had seen, if she had seen one at all, that would have counted as evidence. But the doctors tried, and they tried, but Leah wouldn't budge. Dumbledore said that practically the only words she had spoke in her stay so far was when she woke up, and began to scream, and then she asked where Lily was. But after she remembered what had happened, her mouth had closed shut. Lily had tried to hide back a smile when he said this, she knew it! The Ministry had also searched for clues all through Hogwarts, but found nothing, not even one small piece of hair or footprint.

Thank God, they learned Leah was not pregnant, as many unfortunate rapes ended in. But the fact that she had been raped was a horrible, horrible situation and was going to have to go through some intense therapy. The doctors also were faced with the problem of learning. Leah hadn't even finished school yet, and she'd be missing a lot of it, including probably N.E.W.T.S. So they came up with a plan. Leah was a very good student; her grades were all in the top five at school. They decided to give her a tutor to teach her everything in the N.E.W.T.S, and she would take it early. Afterwards (they figured this would be pretty fast) they would give her introductory books on Auror/Healers so she could get familiar with the subject she wanted to make a profession out of. They'd see what would come after that. When she was recovered and able to go back to school and live somewhat normally, she'd just go to all her classes and attend them like she always did. It actually sounded like a pretty good plan to Lily, but was still very mad over the fact she wasn't able to visit the moment Leah arrived, so she didn't say anything.

Luckily, the doctors had decided that they'd let Lily visit Leah early. Lily learned this information a week after the incident, and she was supposed to go over there in three days. Lily had almost fallen out of her chair from excitement once she was told this! Since Leah wouldn't say anything, they decided to bring in a friend or family member, the person closest to her. That would be Lily! They figured it would make her feel more comfortable to have her around, and she might even say something then. Remus, being of the opposite gender, wasn't able to visit yet. Poor Remus, Lily thought. She did wonder however, Leah was going to be a very different person once she came out of the hospital. Would it affect Remus and Leah's relationship? Lily knew it wouldn't affect theirs, if anything, make it stronger. But that also might be because it was two totally different kinds of relationships.

* * *

Lily's eyelids were drooping, and she could just hardly her Professor McGonogall and her lecture, even though she was seated up front. For a moment, Lily closed her eyes and almost drifted into sleep, but was rudely awoken by a ruler slamming down hard on her desk. She jumped up, her eyes flew open, and she was awake again. Lily then met the stare of Professor McGonogall, who was looking at her sternly.

"Miss Evans, I would like a word with you after class." She said, her expression not changing.

Lily just quickly nodded her head sheepishly before the frustrated Professor went back to the board to teach her lesson. Lily glanced down at her blank paper, and then took a peak at Sirius' (he was sitting next to her). His was surprisingly full, front and back, and she instantly felt guilty. She hadn't been doing the best in classes, since, well, you know.

Another fifteen minutes droned on, and as tempted as she was to drop her quill and fall asleep again, she strained herself not to. Lily really needed these notes, and this grade! Not only would it ruin her educational reputation of having the highest scores in almost everything, but also she'd suffer drastically once N.E.W.T.S. came around.

The bell rang, and all the kids quickly packed everything and ran out of the classroom, making Lily the only student left in the classroom. Lily however slammed all her books into her bag and sulked over to the Professor's desk who was watching her sternly. As the Professor readjusted her glasses, Lily knew exactly what was coming.

"Miss Evans, I know you've been having a very hard week, but that's no excuse for coming to my class every day and falling asleep! I'm disappointed in you, your work quality has been steadily declining. Again, I know it has been a very tough week, and if you do need any assistance at all, please do not hesitate in asking. But still, this kind of work is not acceptable, especially from you. This is just a warning, but if I don't see you working harder I'm going to have to give you a detention. And not to mention what will happen once N.E.W.T.S. rolls around…"

Lily nodded her head at McGonogall half-heartedly. "Alright, I understand."

"Good," McGonogall nodded, "You can go now. Take care,"

She smiled weakly before mumbling a goodbye and slipping out of the classroom. The Professor watched her all the way to the door, and once she was out of sight, McGonogall quickly shook her head. Sometimes she could have sworn that girls life was cursed, it was completely hectic all the time…

* * *

**So guys, please don't kill me for doing this to Leah! And I'm sorry for not updating sooner, I've had this chapter written for a while but I kept going back to change it because I wanted it to be really good. I'm still not that happy with it, so if you have any suggestions, PLEASE give me some! If you're confused about anything, ask away. So, really, how was this chapter? What do you think of it? **

**And now that you've read the chapter where there is rape, here's a question:**

**SHOULD I MOVE THE RATING UP?**

**I'm leaning towards yes, but I'd like to know what you guys think before I do. There is a good deal of swearing, and there is rape, even though it wasn't descriptive. So what do you think? I'll be SO happy if you just drop a one line review and say, "Yeah, move the rating up" or even "up" or "don't". If I do, it'll be weird, I just turned 13 and will be writing an R rated fic. shakes head**

**And another question:**

**If YOU'RE British, do YOU drink tea?**

**I've gotten both answers, and I'm guessing most people do but not everyone? So yeah, just out of my curiosity J Please REVIEW and tell me how the chapter went, I'm quite nervous about it. **

**child-of-scorpio**- Wow. CHIPS? I have never heard of French fries being referred to as chip! That's pretty cool! :) Hehe. And I've never thought of it as US having an accent, but I guess we do don't we. My friend just came back from Europe and she was telling me that it sounded really funny when people tried to imitate our accent! Anyway, I've been meaning to read your fic because I heard it was brilliant :) So I shall soon.

**Kat**- Ah, you have found my flaw. I'm NO good at making mean people, especially if they're British. But I'll try, thank you for pointing it out! And wait a second, now I'm REALLY confused. So, I've heard both things, everyone who is British drinks tea and no, not everyone drinks tea. I'm guessing most people do but some don't. Wow, I have a lot to learn don't I? I need British lessons, especially if I'm going to go there one day! Thanks for reviewing; I'm really glad you liked my fic! (And yes, from now on I'll make sure to add more James description!)

**Pencil-Scrapings**- You're right, this does swear al little too much doesn't it? I went back in this chapter and cut back some of the cursing; I'll make sure to keep that in mind. Sorry! But thanks for the tip :) But just a warning, they're still going to curse (in the dialogue), its part of their characteristics, but I will try and cut it down. I'm thinking of putting the rating up to R though.

**Crimson Girl**- Hehe, thanks for reviewing!

**Nikki101**- Aww thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you like it! And you know what? I took your suggestion, thank you! In the next chapter or maybe two there will be a little fight with Sirius and James involving Mary. Thanks for the idea!

**C4UD14**- I'm deeply flattered by all your reviews! I'm glad you like the way its going, and I will keep up the surprises. Trust me, I've got plenty. And as for you asking if that was an OotP spoiler, you'll have to read the book and find out! RIGHT NOW! Go on, go on! I might have made that up, remember, Dumbledore said that sometimes the dreams weren't accurate. Anyway, yes, go read the book! And as for the rating, now that the chapter with rape is up, do you think its worthy of changing the rating? I think I will.


	17. Hospital Visits

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, the world would be very different. So I don't own Harry Potter characters, its all J.K. Rowling, and be very glad for that._

* * *

_Previously_

_She smiled weakly before mumbling a goodbye and slipping out of the classroom. The Professor watched her all the way to the door, and once she was out of sight, McGonogall quickly shook her head. Sometimes she could have sworn that girls life was cursed, it was completely hectic all the time..._

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: Hospital Visits**

Lily stormed out of the classroom, not really angry with Professor McGonogall but more at herself. Her work had been downright awful, there was absolutely no excuse...even Leah. She was so infuriated with herself that as she walked towards the Head Dormitories, she didn't notice somebody walking towards her, and with a thud ended up running into them, making her trip and fall backwards really hard on her butt. Which, seeing as the floor was cold marble, was rather painful.

"Lily?"

"James!" Lily let out a sigh of relief, glad it wasn't someone else.

"Sorry, you okay?" He asked, extending a hand to help her up.

Lily took it gratefully and once she was standing up, began to rub her bruised butt with pain, "Yeah, I guess. Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going-"

"Nah, its okay. Um, anyway Lils, I was going to the kitchens to get a Butterbeer, wanna come?" He offered, and Lily quickly declined.

"No thanks, I have lots of studying to do..."

"Oh come on!" James cried, "It wont be that long, and plus I hardly haven't even talked to you in a week! At all! The last time we really did talk was when..." he trailed off, and looked at Lily, who was biting the inside of her cheek and tapping her foot impatiently.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly.

Lily sighed, "Its okay, whatever. But that's not true, I have talked to you lately!" She defended herself quickly, and James raised his eyebrows.

"Oh? When?"

Lily paused to think through the course of the week. Ehhh...erm. Okay, so maybe she hadn't really been that friendly to James, or any one else come to think of it, this past week. But could she help it?

No. Sort of. Maybe.

Lily gave a sigh of defeat, "Fine, you win. But that doesn't mean anything other than the fact I just haven't been a little ray of sunshine this week."

James smiled and patted her back, "Its about time you talk to me! I thought I did something mean again."

"Trust me James, if I was mad at you'd sure as hell know." Lily smiled, instantly feeling better. It was kind of weird how she spent this last weak moping around then James randomly comes up to talk to her and she feels instantly better.

"I don't know if I'm happy to hear that or not. Anyway, did you get any news on Leah?" James asked. Lily was tempted to glare at him and stomp off for reminding her of the horrible situation she was in, but instead sighed. I mean, Jams was Leah's friend, too....

"I'm going to go visit her in three...wait, no, two days! I'm so incredibly excited, but a little nervous to go, you know?" Lily said as they began to walk subconsciously to the doors leading outside.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Its not like Leah's going to be the same person, so things might change." He nodded his head in understanding.

"You're right, sadly." Lily frowned and pushed the doors open, which slammed behind them as they walked out into the grass.

"So, why exactly are we outside again?" James asked curiously, as if for the first time noticing they were outside.

Lily looked around, "You know what? I'm not sure. Oh well. Wanna take a walk around the lake? We still have some stuff for the Halloween Carnival to discuss, come on."

"Still?" James whined as Lily grabbed his arm and dragged him away from the castle doors.

"Still. You know, its closer than we think. We still need to prepare decorations, the games, direct who's going to do what, etc, etc."

"I don't want to though!" James said in a grumpy voice. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Stop acting like a four year old already, you-"

Lily's scolding was interrupted by a high-pitch squeal coming behind them, and Lily could tell by the slightly too enthusiastic squeal who it was right off the back.

"Mary!" James grinned as his girlfriend walked over to him, giving him a peck on the lips.

"Hi Jamsie," She greeted, and turned to Lily, "Hello Lily," she said a little more civilized.

Lily just nodded, biting her lip and James slipped an arm around Mary's waist. Mary pressed her self incredibly close to James. Yep, Lily rolled her eyes, Mary was quite a slut. Maybe not as sluty as the other sluts James had dated, but as sure as hell one hell of a slut. (A/N: Yes, that was supposed to be confusing) It was sort of a "I say I'm a virgin but I'm really not" kind of thing, if you know what I mean.

James took a quick glance at Lily, and saw her crossing her arms mumbling incoherent words. He grinned, somebody was jealous! Well, maybe not jealous, but he liked getting a reaction out of her anyway, it was just too fun.

"So Mary," he said, giving her waist a squeeze, "Do you want to help us think up ideas for the carnival?"

There went the high-pitched squeal again.

"Of course I would! Of course, I'll do anything to help my sweetie." She leaned her head on his shoulder. James looked at Lily again, and she was just about ready to explode.

"WHAT THE HECK?" Lily mouthed at him when Mary wasn't looking. James just smirked, causing Lily to roll her eyes.

So onward they went, not really getting many ideas done. The only idea the lovebirds really did get across was how infatuated they were with each other. Lily was very sick of them kissing after every word, and made this known by kicking James in the leg countless times. Somehow, Lily didn't even want to begin to think why, but James grinned every time she did this, or rolled her eyes, or muttered to herself what a slut Mary was. Did he LIKE it when she was mad? Well, that wouldn't be too odd...she had grown to expect weird things like that from him...

"Oh gees, look at the time! It's getting real late," Lily exclaimed sarcastically, pointing at her watch.

James watched in amusement and Mary just kept on grinning. Really though, she smiled ALL THE TIME, it was annoying enough to make a nun pull out a gun and shoot the girl.

"I really have to be going now, as much a I'd love to watch your snogfest. Have fun guys!" She put on an obvious fake smile and walked away; disgruntled only for the reason James was kissing a girl. Okay, so, it wasn't so much the fact that he was kissing a girl, but more because he was kissing Mary, and she had grown to dislike her greatly. Argh, the way she smiled and pretended every aspect of others and herself was absolutely flawless, perfect, and "oh so lovely." The day that girl really frowned would be the day....Lily thought for a moment. The day Mary publicly frowned would be the day James and Lily got together. Which, they both knew, would never ever, EVER happen. (a/n: Oh. I'm good. A little cheesy, but hey)

James catching up to her, completely out of breath, interrupted her pleasing rants. "You run fast." James said as he finally began walking with her pace.

"Aha."

James grinned even wider, and Lily shot him an annoyed look, "Would you stop grinning like that? It's a bit frightening."

"You're jealous," James said innocently, looking around.

Lily slapped his arm and laughed, "Oh yeah James, incredibly jealous."

James rubbed his arm in pain,. "I'm kidding, damn! You slap hard!"

Lily put on a proud face, "Good." She then smiled at James, "So. We really didn't get anything out of that walk, did we?"

"I did!" James protested.

"What I meant was, 'Well, we didn't really decide anything during that long thirty minute walk did we'?"

James sighed, "No, we really need to get that done don't we? Lets go to the library." He suggested, now slightly regretting having Mary tag along on their little walk, although it was sort of worth it, seeing Lily all mad...oh, and of course being with Mary...

Lily shook her head, "You're stalker fan club will hide behind the bookshelf and try to seduce you with their too small of skirts."

"You're right,"

"Of course I am. Lets go to the Head Rooms, no one can interrupt our concentration there, come on." Lily dragged a very reluctant James all the way up to the rooms. James really didn't mind going up there, he just found it 'too quiet to concentrate'. Don't ask what that meant, Lily couldn't quite figure it out either.

They talked into the late hours of the night, getting every single aspect of the carnival down, whether it was who was taking care of what or to how they were going to make a game. It wasn't that boring, but it did take a lot of brainwork and creativity. By the time they were completely done, they were both very worn out and tired, dying to go to sleep. After making sure everything was ready, they both bid their goodnights quickly and practically fell to sleep the instant they landed on their beds. In Lily's case, not even bothering to change. They both did not get as much sleep that they preferred, and were rather cranky when they woke up the next day...

Although irritable, Lily forced herself to stay awake, especially with Professor McGonogall. Lily thought she did pretty well, or at least better than she had been doing. Professor McGonogall even nodded and gave an almost forced smile (she hardly ever really smiled) when Lily left the classroom. The day flew by, and Lily was surprised when she looked out the window to see a softly setting sun. Excitement burst from somewhere inside of her, tomorrow she got to see Leah! Leah...the excitement then mixed with a dejected feeling, and she gave a long sigh. Was Leah asleep? What was she thinking of? Was she okay?

It was like having your best friend get lost in the deepest part of the woods. And you knew something horrible happened, but you didn't know how horrible it was, or the details, just that she was somewhere out there. You didn't know if she liked being where she was, how she was feeling, if she couldn't sleep from the pain and horrors that now tainted her memory. And while all they told you was that she was in good hands, they still expected you to stay calm and not worry. Not only that, but the fact that knowing other people knew exactly what condition Leah was in infuriated Lily to no end. Honestly, if anybody deserved to know anything, it was Lily and Remus.

Lily sighed and picked up the book she was currently reading. Hopefully if she read, time would pass quickly and soon it'd be time for bed. Then, in the morning, she'd finally be able to find and basically save Leah from the dark depths of the woods she was lost in, and maybe save herself from this insanity, too.

The beginning of the day, the second the sun rose and the birds began to sing, it was the start of another glorious day in Lily's opinion. The very instant Lily's eyes fluttered open, she jumped up in the air with a wild grin set upon her face. Today she got to see Leah! Not even bothering to take a shower, she grabbed her clothes and put them on quickly, then after rapidly brushing her hair she darted out into the hall over to the Great Hall, where she suspected breakfast had already began. Sure enough, as she flew down the steps, her ears were greeted with the usual noisy chatter of the students. Lily sat herself between Remus and Sirius, grinning wildly.

"I get to see Leah!" She announced, even though she was quite aware her friends all knew.

"Good!" Remus gave a strained smile, and Lily sighed. The poor guy wouldn't be able to get over it for a while, he wasn't sure what was happening either.

"I'll tell her you all said hi. And Remus, if you want me to give her a letter or something I'll sneak it in." She smiled, seeing the sad look on his face.

His mood lightened considerably as he nodded silently, and Lily detected a small smile on his face.

"Okay, just make sure to give it to me before I leave." Lily said between a mouthful of eggs.

"Here, I already have it." Remus pulled a neatly folded letter with 'Leah' written in calligraphy on the front. Lily grinned and placed it carefully in her bag.

"Tell he we all miss her, and hope she's better." Sirius said and then quickly added, "And when you come back make sure to explain to us, in detail, what happened to her."

Lily smiled again, "Alright, I will."

This had been the day were truly everyone was happy, or at least happy compared to the days before. Remus knew that someone he was close to and trusted was going to make sure Leah was okay, Leah would get his letter, and they wouldn't be completely lost as to what was happening. Then Sirius and James were happy Lily would be able to see her, that way they could make sure Leah was okay. And Peter...well, he was trying not to look guilty. After all, it all lead back to him, he was the one who told Voldemort about Lily, which then lead to Leah. So needless to say he was feeling very nervous and culpable. He had, many many times, pondered what his friends would do and say to him if they ever found out. The thought made him very nervous, they'd probably maim every limb in his body, so slowly, that he would be in incredibly pain until he died. Ah, yeah, he hoped they would never find out...

Maybe twenty minutes later, Dumbledore rose and the room at once was cast into respecting silence. Lily began to fidget nervously, she knew what he was about to announce!

"I'm sorry for interrupting your breakfast everyone, but would Miss Lily Evans please come see me? Thank you, you may return to your delicious food."

"Bye guys!" Lily stood up, smiling at them as they smiled back at her.

"Bye! Tell Leah all the stuff I told you to say!" The four Marauders and Mary waved her off, as Lily ecstatically rushed over to Dumbledore, who seemed to have caught the joyful mood as well.

"Are you ready Miss Evans?" He asked, smiling as she quickly nodded her head.

"Come with me, you'll be flooing over to St. Mungo's." Dumbledore began to walk towards an office, Lily guessed it was Professor McGonogall's, and Dumbledore tossed some powder into the fire.

"I am assuming you are very familiar with the procedure, am I correct?" He asked.

Lily nodded her head again.

"Here, you can go first. Wait for me next to the fireplace."

Nervously, Lily jumped inside the fire, and felt the all-too familiar tingling feeling as her feet touched the fire.

"St. Mungo's!" She said through the ashes, and quickly, she began to spin out of control downwards. Shutting her eyes tight, she could still feel the gust of winds from other fireplaces she was falling by. It was rather freaky how these things worked...

No sooner than she had come in, she was out, landing on the ground with a loud thud. Everybody in the lobby turned to look at her briefly, then turned their attention back to whatever they were doing. Lily carefully stood up, dusting the ashes off her robes, sighing impatiently.

Lily had never been in St. Mungo's, but knew plenty of people who had. Apparently, they had a Healer for everything from normal things like broken bones to bizarre things like when you grew an extra head on an unusual part of your body. The lobby she found herself standing in was, like most hospitals, almost all white. There was a cream carpet placed in the center, and the chairs were all white, and the uniforms of the nurses and Healers passing by was that color as well. Well, Lily was going to get sick of this fast.

Behind her, Dumbledore arrived, standing up gracefully in the fireplace. Lily was slightly frustrated, how come HE was so good at this?

Dumbledore smiled at her, almost reading her thoughts when he said, "After years of practice, you get quite good at this. Now, I believe the room is over here, follow me."

He glided down an empty hall to the right; Lily following fast at his heals. She tired not to look around at the many doors leading into wards. The walls were still painted the sickly glow of white, Lily's somewhat large blue jeans and sweatshirt plus Dumbledore's blue robe the only things that stood out.

On the way, they passed a few nurses, who nodded to Dumbledore respectably. One time, Lily looked up and to her horror the nurse was pushing a hospital cart with a stiff body lying on top of it, a white sheet draped over it. Lily quickly looked down, her nervousness increasing. Her mind wandered to the image of uncovering the sheet and finding Leah's face staring back at her...

Lily shivered, and scolded herself for thinking such a thought. Leah was NOT dead, and she wasn't going to die. But even the thought of Leah lying in one of those many hospital beds, that lay one after another, scared her senseless. Finally, Dumbledore stopped close to the end of the hallway. Dumbledore knocked a door, and Lily waited anxiously behind him.

A young, kind looking doctor answered the door. He smiled sympathetically when he caught sight of Dumbledore and Lily's head poking out behind him like a little girl. Honestly, that's how she felt, like a little girl.

"Please, come in!" He greeted cheerfully, rather happily for the situation. Although Lily couldn't help feeling sad for Leah's condition, she was happy from the fact that they would get to see each other.

"How good to see you again, Dumbledore. It's a pleasure," the doctor said, bowing his head slightly.

"The pleasure is mine," Dumbledore said properly.

"And you must be Lily Evans?" The doctor asked, finally noticing her. "I'm Dr. Rodgers, nice to meet you,"

Lily smiled and shook his extended hand, "You too."

"Before we go in, I'm sure you'd like to know how she's doing. Just to make sure you know, this information is usually for family, so Miss. Lily, we have made a very rare exception for you."

Lily used a friendly smile to express her gratitude.

"Now, Leah has refused to talk. We're not quite sure why, Lily, do you have any speculations?"

She suppressed a giggle when he used the word 'speculation', but answered anyway, "She does that, she can be pretty stubborn sometimes. It's usually when she's feeling angry or sad and nobody around her is somebody she knows or trusts." Lily said, feeling rather guilty, as if she was betraying her friend.

"Aha. Now, the problem this has caused is that we cannot start therapy. Rape causes paranoia when it comes to the opposite sex or people in general. Also, guilt is very common. We don't know if she feels any of this, but we're guessing she is, and we cant fix it or know where to start if she doesn't say anything. So, while you're in there, try and convince her to talk, please." Dr. Rodgers gave her a compassionate smile before standing up and going up to yet another door.

"She's in here, good luck."

Lily's heart was pounding wildly in her chest. It was the first step to springing into a whole new world, into Leah's new life. She grabbed the cold doorknob in her hand and twisted it slowly. With one quick reassuring glance back at Dumbledore, Lily walked in bravely, holding her breath.

The room was, to her relief, actually blue. There was a normal bed in front of her, not a hospital bed, to Lily's surprise. A pale, tired looking girl she recognized as Leah was sleeping lightly in it. Her lovely brown hair was frayed, knotty and messy, leaving the impression on Lily that she had been struggling, or tossing and turning. Even asleep she looked scared, she had large dark blotches under her eyes, from days of not sleeping. Her face was pale enough to match the white bed sheets, and she was wearing a white nightgown that was not hers and very big for her, making her look smaller than she really was. Leah looked small, fearful, and defenseless lying there asleep. A grave feeling of desolation was cast over Lily, and her shoulders sulked at the horrible view. This wasn't right; they should have called for her earlier! There was a shelf with a glass of water and a plate uneaten food lying untouched next to her. Lily's eyes darted to Leah's wrists, they were so thin. Now reality hit her, and she clearly saw what that one night, that one event, had done to Leah.

Should she wake her up? Of course. Lily walked to the side of the bed, taking her sleeping friend's small cold hand in her own. She could see and hear Leah's soft, hesitant breaths.

"Leah?" She asked softly, her voice cracking, "Leah, wake up, it's me, Lily."

Leah stirred and opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Lily's face, smiling sadly, biting her lip to keep the tears in.

"L-Lily? Is that really you?" Leah's voice cracked, as she sat up, now completely awake but still dreadfully tired.

Lily nodded, and Leah began to cry. They both immediately enveloped each other in a huge hug, now both crying into the other's shoulder as well. For the first few moments, Leah tensed up, like if she was scared, but didn't stop hugging her. Finally she relaxed, and hugged her tighter. There, Lily was proud of herself, she had found Leah. Now she just needed to save her.

Leah's voice cracked from not being used, "Oh my God Lily! I've missed you so much! It's been so horrible without you, nobody here to talk to, I hate it! Take me back please." Leah began to pour her feelings out, still clinging tight to Lily's shoulders like a small child, digging her fingernails into Lily's back subconsciously.

"Leah, its okay, you're going to be fine," Lily sniffed, looking at her frail friend. Lily climbed onto the bed and sat herself next to Leah. Her hands were icy cold against Lily's warm ones, and it made Lily shiver.

"No, no I'm not! I'm so scared! I can't eat, or sleep, its horrible!" Leah's voice was next to a whisper, "Why didn't you come earlier?"

"They didn't let me." Lily spoke sadly, wiping her eyes. Leah broke into a new round of tears, and pulled Lily into an embrace all over again. It wasn't the kind of crying where you sobbed quietly, it was the kind where you choked on your tears, where you shook violently up and down, and you didn't care if you sounded incredibly stupid doing it. The kind of thing that left you dizzy when you were done, but unbelievably relieved.

Lily didn't say anything; she knew how important letting your crying out was. So she just stroked Leah's brown tattered hair softly, like a mother would. It was ages when Leah's frantic sobs faded into sniffs, but neither cared, just grateful that they could be in each other's presence.

"Thank you so much for coming." Leah admitted gratefully, finally letting go of Lily.

"Oh of course Leah, I wouldn't leave you here. We're all hoping you make a fast recovery. We miss you so much."

Leah smiled sadly, "So everyone's okay?"

"Other than our worry for you, yes, everyone is okay."

"Good."

"Leah, can I ask you a few things?"

"Sure. Shoot." She sniffed. Lily smiled on the inside, there we go, a trace of the old Leah.

"What are you scared of?" She asked timidly.

Leah didn't hesitate to answer her best friend, "That it'll happen again. I'm afraid to touch people, or be near them, because of the knowledge of what some people are capable of doing. I'm afraid of other people because of what one of them did, so its like subconscious judgments. I know I shouldn't, and I know its wrong, and I feel bad for doing it, but I cant help myself. But like if Remus walked in here and tried to hug me, I'd freak out." Leah admitted, looking down, ashamed.

Honestly, Lily was slightly scared...no, more worried that her friend was feeling such horrible things. This was exactly the kind of thing she was afraid for her of.

"Leah, that's okay. Its expectable, and you'll soon be okay. But you really need to talk to the people here. The doctors, the psychiatrists, everyone. They don't think you're a loon or a crazy person, they're trying to help you so that you CAN hug Remus again, so you can walk through the halls of Hogwarts with the same confidence you've always had. Just talk, they're trying to help. And I can't honestly last that long without you." Lily sighed, trying to smile to give Leah some hope.

Leah smiled back reluctantly, "I guess I'll cooperate a little more. But it's really hard, I don't trust them."

"Well you have to, and just the fact that they're taking you in and doing their best, and even letting me come in earlier than I'm supposed to, doest that mean that they care? You should trust them, as hard as I bet it is. I didn't trust them until now, when I finally saw you and realized they've been trying really hard."

"Thanks so much for being here for me Lily, I love you." Lily embraced her in a sisterly hug.

"Now, one more question. Why is it different for me? Why aren't you scared of me?"

"Because I trust you with my life, and I knew you would come. And when you did, that just proved my point. I trust you all too much to think you'd hurt me. And Remus, as much as I trust him, it's just not the same, you know?"

Lily nodded; exhilarated over the fact that she had a friendship this strong. "Remus sent you a letter, by the way." Lily pulled out the envelope and handed it to Leah, who smiled sadly.

"Thanks, I'll read it later. Tell him I'll owl back. They're letting me now." She placed it on the shelf.

"Now, promise me, swear to God, that you'll let them help you?" Lily asked sternly.

"I will, I swear. But in return, you guys have to promise me you wont be sad the rest of the time, because I'm starting to think maybe they will help me. So don't sulk, It'll make me feel guilty."

Lily grinned, "Deal."

Leah's pale face was still pale, she still had bags under her eyes, and she was still a walking skeleton, but her eyes were sparkling, as well was the bubbling happiness she hadn't felt for the longest time.

"Now, tell me how its been going with James..." Leah asked mischievously, and Lily laughed loudly, shoving her just slightly. She was so glad their friendship had survived this. Leah would be okay, she really, really would.

_Meanwhile, back at the ranch....._

The Marauders (Peter for a different reason) had all been fidgety that day. Quite sensitive and grumpy from anticipation after Lily left, it caused others to back away just a little. James had gone to Mary; Sirius had gone to the dorm to throw rocks at the ceiling, and Remus had gone to Astronomy Tower. The mood had changed considerably since Lily had left, and they were very irritable.

Back in the 'Marauder's Lair' (7th year boys room), Sirius was facing the dilemma of gravity. For a reason unknown to him, whenever he threw the rock up, it came back and hit him in the forehead. His angry frustration on trying to get it to work without hitting him was halted when James came in, looking tired, and flopping back on his bed.

"Where ya been mate?" Sirius asked, propping himself on one elbow, putting the rock aside.

"Mary. Hey Sirius?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever been in love with somebody?" James asked.

Sirius snorted, "You're talking to me, Sirius Black, so no. Why?" He asked, sensing where this conversation was going.

"Because I think I am,"

"...What?"

"I think I'm in love with Mary." James said simply, and Sirius stared at him with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"You're kidding!" Sirius said, not wanting to believe it.

"No, Sirius, I'm not." James said, slightly bothered at all his friends' reactions.

"But...you can't be! You just can't!" Sirius exclaimed, now sitting up properly.

James raised an eyebrow and he too sat up, "Oh, I can't? And why not?"

"Mary just isn't...she's not...she's not the kind of girl you would fall in love with!" Sirius stuttered with his choice of words, not really knowing how to describe it.

"What are you saying? I can pick my own girlfriends, thanks."

"What I'm saying is this is you first serious relationship, isn't it? And Mary might be great and you might be very happy with her, but sometimes you're just over exaggerating with her. Like if you're considering even marrying her or something like that."

When James just stared back at him, Sirius started nervously again, "You're not thinking anything crazy like that, are you?"

James sighed, "I don't know Padfoot. She's such a great girl and different form the rest of all my other girlfriends-"

"Prongs, you can hardly call those girls girlfriends."

"Whatever! When I'm with her I feel something I've never felt before,"

"It's not love." Sirius stated.

"Oh, are you sure? Pretty strong words coming from somebody who's never gone out with a girl for something other than her looks or 'experience'." James spat.

"I'm not stupid, and you know what? I might be wrong, you might be in love with her, but it's just a little bit! And you're making that little bit seem like a huge lot, and I'm just worried."

"Worried?"

"Yeah," Sirius admitted sheepishly, "I'm worried that one day you're going to wake up and realize that that image you had of her, the image you fell in love was nothing more than a very active imagination. She's going to break your heart one day like that."

"So basically you're saying Mary is horrible?"

"No! Mary might be wonderful for you and all, but she's just not the girl I'd pick out for you."

"But it's ME picking, I don't need help picking girls out!" James yelled angrily.

"James, how much do you think you love her?" Sirius sighed, trying another approach.

"A lot." He replied stubbornly.

"A lot? Its just...I know you better than anyone, better than anyone ever will. Even when you're married and have a little James Jr. running around, nobody in the world will have the kind of friendship we do, and you'd be just stupid to deny it. I'm not blinded by your love, and even one speck of love can be blinding. I can see, and I know, that Mary, even if she is a wonderful girl, is not the kind of person you'd love a lot. If you want the kind of love you think you have with her, you can do so much better."

James said nothing at this, and frowned, going over it in his head. Why didn't his friends accept it? It was sort of hurtful, you chose this girl as your girlfriend, and you loved her, and your friends rejected her. But maybe Sirius had a point. No, James corrected himself, Sirius was wrong, he's never had a serious relationship, he doesn't know what its like. Plus, James did not need help with his love life, he was perfectly capable of doing it. And blinded by love? Ha, yeah right.

"Sirius, you don't know what you're talking about, so just shut up, okay?" James said, rather lamely, but nonetheless proving his point as he slammed the door on the way out of the room, leaving a very angry Sirius.

Seconds later the door opened again, and Remus came in, looking slightly afraid of the fuming James that had just gone stomping down the stairs to his girlfriend, no doubt.

"What's up with him?" He asked, walking in and shutting the door behind him.

"He thinks he's in love with Mary." Sirius said with a grudge.

"Maybe he is." Remus suggested, shrugging.

"But he can't be! Mary isn't the kind of girl he'd fall in love with, like really fall in love with. And I've known him all my life."

"I see what you mean, but maybe he really does like her, a lot. I don't think he's dating her to marry her or anything, so its okay. Let him do his own thing. This is the first serious relationship he's had, and, frankly, it makes him feel like a big boy. He feels responsible, you know? Let him find out in his own time, like a big boy."

"I guess. But he could be using all this time falling in love with someone worth his time. Like LILY!" Sirius exclaimed.

Remus laughed, "Yeah, that'd be nice. But don't expect it to happen. And you're not being very supportive of James' decisions. I don't think he likes that."

"Oh yeah? Well...well..." Sirius stammered and didn't finish his sentence, he really had nothing to say. He threw another rock that flew up and then came crashing down, landing on his forehead with painful thud. He cried out in anger, cursing his luck, and grabbed the rock and beamed it at the ground, huffing in content about 'showing that rock who was boss'. He might not be able to control his friend's love life, or gravity, but at least he was still capable of throwing rocks.

_In the hospital...._

The reunion had gone very well, it was quite refreshing, and Lily felt like she could finally breathe. There was a lot of drama; intense conversations that they both agreed could have very well been an interesting soap opera. Of course, many tears, but at the same time a great deal of laughs. It was one of those moments one day you'd look back on and sigh, think to yourself 'Wow, we've always been great friends. Those were the good old times, ay?' Except it wasn't such a great situation for Leah, but whatever.

"Bye Lils," Leah said, smiling, embracing Lily one last time.

"Bye Leah, be good. Remember our deal," Lily smiled, hugging her back before standing up, stretching.

"Write me!" Leah exclaimed as Lily followed the happy doctor out of the room.

"I will!" Lily said, poking her head in and grinning before closing the door shut.

Leah was in bed, the white covers covering her cold body. She watched as Lily's blur disappeared behind yet another door, her image distorted by the thick wavy glass on the door. Leah sighed, tears welling up behind her eyes. She scooted down, lying on her side, her head resting softly on a pillow. Her hands were grabbing the sheets nervously, like she always did when she was uneasy. It was so silent all of a sudden, and once again the only sound she could here was her own breathing.

The stillness was interrupted by the soft creaking sound the hinges made as they opened. The doctor stepped in, a concerned smile on his face. He closed the door shut behind him, and stood at the door, far away from Leah, to give her space.

"Miss Johnson?"

That was Leah's last name, and she hated when people called her that. All her friends knew not to jokingly call her by her last name, and even her enemies addressed her as 'Leah', not 'Johnson'. In fact, she wasn't sure how many people were even aware of her last name. Well, if she were to make any progress, this guy would HAVE to stop addressing her by her surname. Leah sat up in bed, breathing in deeply. _Lily promised things would get better if you do this, now do it...._ she said reassuringly to herself.

"It's Leah, nobody calls me by my last name. Now, if I'm going to be better by the end of the school year, we better get started right?" Leah said, more confidently than she expected herself to be.

Good job, Leah.

Dr. Rodgers grinned, and took a few steps closer to her, pulling out a chair and sitting down on it.

"You can come closer than THAT." Leah said, a smile curling at her lips, but hoping he would not come too close.

The doctor scooted up a few feet, "Alright Leah, lets get started." He said, smiling.

Leah looked up, and had a moment of silence for Lily, for being a lifesaver. God, where would she be without that girl?

* * *

Hey guys, sorry for the not-updating. I really appreciated everyone's reviews! Thank you all so much! I love ya! Thanks for everyone's input, I've decided to keep it PG-13.

Anyway, I would personally answer reviews, but its 10:47 and my parents are insisting I go to sleep early since tomorrow we're going camping. Yep, camping for five days! So pretty please, leave me some reviews to look forward to when I get back! Tell me what you thought about the chapter, I didnt look over it too much, so sorry if something is weird or done wrong!

-Althea


	18. Pictures of You

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: I own nothing :( I am just an obsessed fan looking for an obsessive pass time. Dont sue me, it all belongs to J.K. Rowling_

_Previously_

* * *

_"You can come closer than THAT." Leah said, a smile curling at her lips, but hoping he would not come too close._

_The doctor scooted up a few feet, "Alright Leah, lets get started." He said, smiling._

_Leah looked up, and had a moment of silence for Lily, for being a lifesaver. God, where would she be without that girl?_

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: Pictures of You**

To Lily's surprise, she had stayed with Leah for five hours. So needless to say, by the time she got back, there were only fifteen minutes left of class, not worth attending. Lily felt great, and hoped Leah was doing a great deal better. She was glad she could bring that kind of ease to somebody's life, even if it was Leah, the only real girl friend she had. After thanking Dumbledore and saying goodbye, she rushed over to the Head Dorms to take a shower, this time forcing herself to do it quickly. Of course, her idea of quick was about forty-five minutes, so classes were well over by the time she stepped out.

Dressing herself in a shirt and shorts , Lily ran hastily over to the boy's dorm, not bothering to knock on the door. When she crashed in, she was panting wildly.

"Lils!" Remus greeted, sitting up expectantly.

"How is she?" Sirius and James asked in unison.

Lily sighed, "I'll tell you guys everything, but Sirius, toss me a sweatshirt, I'm cold."

Sirius rolled his eyes, pulled his sweatshirt off, and tossed it to Lily. She put it on gratefully.

"Thanks." She sat on the foot of Remus' bed, giving him a reassuring smile.

So she explained, in great detail, everything that happened from the moment she left them. They all listened, sighing and wincing at the appropriate moments, making Lily feel like quite a storyteller. Most the time she was watching Remus' face, who she could tell was straining not to look awfully sad and devastated. When she was done with her story, she crawled over to Remus and gave him a hug.

The four (Peter was being tutored in Herbology) friends talked endlessly about Leah, worries, fears, hopes. It was quite relaxing, getting everything out there in the open. Even when the conversation was drying out, the open feeling was still lingering around. James decided this was a good moment to bring up some other things as well, even if they were off the current subject.

"Guys?" James asked, everyone was lying in their designated beds. Lily was lying back lazily on the foot of Remus' bed, still, her wet hair sprawled in all directions.

"What?" They asked.

"I want to ask you guys a favor. Please, this means a lot to me." James said sincerely, sitting up.

"What is it James?" Lily asked, slightly concerned.

"Well, its about Mary." He confessed, and everyone tried to stifle a groan. "See, as hard as it is for you guys to believe, I really, really like her. She's my choice, its my decision who I go out with, okay? And I personally have no regrets at the moment, but it would really help if you guys stopped nagging me. Its really annoying, and yes I've heard you, and yes I've thought about it, but it hasn't changed my mind. Its hard to really like your girlfriend when your friends hate her. Just give her a chance alright?" He asked, and it left his three friends shocked.

There was a moment of tight silence, when Lily finally spoke up, "Well, sure James. I'm sorry, I wasn't realizing I was being that bad of a friend."

James asked in shock, "You're actually going to give Mary a chance?"

"Of course, Prongs, after all, you are our friend. I guess we have to realize our little Jamsie-poo is growing up!" Remus smirked jokingly.

"I'm sure Mary is a great person, but we've been to thick to realize it. "Sirius agreed, quite halfheartedly actually. He was just following Remus' advice and letting James learn on his own.

"Thanks guys, you don't know how much of a relief that is." James sighed.

Inwardly, Lily didn't really want to be nice to Mary. But it was for James, and it was James' choice, right?

"Talking about people's love life, Sirius, who's your chick of the week?" Remus asked curiously.

"Hot Ravenclaw, Joanna Hall. Gorgeous girl, great kisser." Sirius said casually.

"God Sirius! You're horrible!" Lily cringed.

Sirius shrugged, "I cant help myself. What about you, have any lucky men in Hogwarts caught your eye?" He asked teasingly.

Lily rolled over onto her stomach, her feet legs dangling in the air, head resting on her hands, "Not really," she said after a moments thought.

"Oooh, not really! That means she likes somebody! Who is it, Lily dearest?" James teased, enjoying the opportunity of teasing his only single girl friend.

"Well, Amos Diggory IS pretty hot-"

"DIGGORY?" The three Marauders exclaimed, jumping up immediately.

"Jesus Lily, don't joke like that." Sirius said, clutching his heart.

"What? I wasn't! I wouldn't even consider going out with him, but you have to admit he IS hot." Lily pointed out, but didn't expect anyone to agree with her, except for Sirius, because if any of them were to swing 'that way' it would be him.

"Well he does have a nice butt, doesn't he?" Sirius remarked, and Lily smirked.

James and Remus looked a little appalled, but Lily just laughed.

Then they continued onward on their discussion, leading in and out of different things as quickly as they came. The subject of Halloween carnival arrived, and they got quite interested in that.

"Any idea what you're going to be Padfoot?" Remus asked.

"Yeah, it involves tight leather pants and wearing no shirt." Sirius winked at Lily, and she laughed at the rather disturbing thought.

"You James and Remus should all do that, it'd be hot. Just to give your fan clubs a little glimpse of your hotness." Lily rolled her eyes sarcastically.

"That's a GREAT idea!" James exclaimed, and even Remus looked quite eager at the suggestion.

"I've got some leather pants, so you guys will have to find your own." Sirius said eagerly.

"Well, I'll do it as long as I can wear a shirt." Remus said.

"Deal, what about a dance?"

"Club music. Where do we put the candy?"

"In our pants. Can we str-"

"ALRIGHT, God. That was more than I ever needed to hear. I swear, if you guys wear that to the carnival..."

The boys said nothing, just grinned, and Lily cried out in frustration.

"Ugh, whatever. I don't know what I'll be. Maybe I'll be original and dress up as a witch..." Lily said sarcastically.

"Or Snape, that'd scare the kids." Said James.

"Playboy bunnies are hot-"

"No!"

"Farie?"

"Nah."

"Pixie?"

"Same thing."

"Ghost?"

"Too many of them,"

"Eh...marshmallow?"

"What?"

"Princess!"

"Nah."

"Angel?"

"Devil?"

"God?"

"Haha, no."

"Pirate?"

"Yeah!" Lily sprang up. "I'll be a pirate! I'll be really awesome."

"Will you let us put your costume together?" Sirius asked innocently.

"No, I don't want anything that minuscule, thanks."

"Aww, where's the fun in THAT?" James pouted.

"Ha, ha, ha." Lily rolled her eyes sarcastically.

There was a moment of silence, in which Sirius took a loud yawn, "I'm tired," he mumbled.

"Same. Come on, Lils, we should probably head back to the dormitories now." James said, stretching wildly as he stood up.

"I didn't see that coming, but I guess you're right. It's getting quite late." She gave Remus and Sirius a quick peck on the cheek, making sure to give Remus an extra large hug while she was at it.

"Night guys, see you tomorrow."

"Bye Lily love." Sirius said impertinently, and Remus waved them off.

"Night," James called to his friends before closing the door.

Lily and James galloped down the stairs and out the portrait, interrupting the silence of the halls with their loud, echoing footsteps. The witches and the wizards in the ancient portraits were yawning, some gazing off drowsily off into space, others talking in hushed, and casual voices.

Up inside the head towers, both the seventh years realized that neither of them were quite as sleepy as they had thought, or at least, not sleepy enough to actually sleep. So instead James got out his secret stash of candy from underneath his bed, and the two ate it all night long like two little kids hiding out in a tree house.

"Ugh, how do you eat your Chocolate Frogs like that?" Lily cringed as James ripped them apart menacingly and tossed each piece in his mouth separately.

"It tickouls you stoack." James said through a mouthful of chocolate, causing Lily to burst into peels of laughter.

"I'll race you, whoever eats five chocolate frogs first wins, okay?" Lily challenged, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

James narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her then said, "Deal. But if I win, you have to buy me a whole box of Chocolate Frogs."

"And if I win, you have to kiss Sirius." Lily proposed, trying to keep a straight face as James put up a look of complete disgust.

"Oh God! That's GROSS!" James cried, but shook hands with Lily despite that fact. They put out ten chocolate frogs and placed them on the sofa in-between them. Lily sat cross-legged on the couch facing James, and James leaned against the arm of the chair. They growled at each other with mock furious faces before they said in unison, "One, Two, Three!"

The first pair of Chocolate Frogs were ripped from their wrappers. Lily stuffed the whole thing in her mouth, chewing it quickly as the charmed chocolate attempted to jump out of her mouth. James bit off his frog's head, which instantly stopped hopping, and he ate it with delight. It wasn't much of a surprise when James carefully stuffed the lower half of his fifth chocolate frog the moment Lily reached for her fifth frog.

"I win!" He said through a mouthful of chocolate. He had a cheeky grin on his face, a bit of chocolate on his lips.

"No!" Lily cried dramatically.

"Haha. Now you owe me chocolate! I expect them by tomorrow night, I'll personally hunt you down and kill you if you don't."

Lily put on a sad face, "Fine, but my stomach hurts now. I think I might be ill." She patted her stomach pathetically.

"Poor Lils," he said, poking her exposed stomach.

"Don't DO that!" Lily squealed, covering her stomach up with her shirt.

"Oh, is Lily ticklish on her stomach?" James asked teasingly.

"You already know that, of course I am." Lily said, knowing it would be pointless to deny.

"No, Lily, you're supposed to laugh wildly and run away. I'll give you three seconds," James corrected teasingly.

Lily rolled her eyes, but to James surprise, put on a mock laugh and ran away into James' room, closing the door and locking it behind her. She let out an obvious loud fake laugh, and ran into his wardrobe, hiding in the mass of clothing. It was large, and at the very back there were piles of boxes, all brown and old. Lily shut the wardrobe door, although she knew that James would check in there for her first. Oh well, its not like she was actually trying to hide, it was just for the sake of being stupid.

She randomly grabbed one of the boxes, which was rather heavy, and carried it over to the corner where the door was. She sat cross-legged and lifted up the lid, eager to go snooping through James' stuff. Inside the box was a large accumulation of photographs, all moving in their own little world. Lily grinned and pulled out one of the first stacks. A picture of a sweet looking blonde lady, with wavy hair in a short, classy cut sat at the front of the pile. Despite the fact that she was wearing elaborate jewelry and extravagant clothing at the time, she still looked warm and humble as she held a small baby in her arms.

Lily let out a small smile, studying the little bundle that was being rocked and forth. Baby James was sprawling his hands out in front of him. She couldn't see his face, or his hair, just two little hands. Next to the woman was a man that, if Lily hadn't known better, she would have thought would be an older copy of James. He was looking very proud, a loving look on his face as one arm was wrapped around his wife's waist and his eyes were staring down at his son. It was a very cute picture, Lily thought, and for obvious reasons it made her a little sad. It sort of stung her heart, thinking that she never did or would have a picture like this. They seemed like such a perfect, loving, caring family-

"I FOUND you!" James grinned as he swung open the doors. Seeing Lily on the floor in his closet with a box was not exactly what he had been expecting to see, so naturally he bent down to see what she was looking at.

"I see you've found my box of pictures," He smiled, and Lily looked up at him.

"Come, sit," she said, patting the ground next to her. James was about to decline when he thought better, and sat himself next to Lily. It was rather odd, he admitted, sitting down in the corner of his closet looking at pictures, but that's the kind of stuff Lily did, and he had no objection to it.

"This is such a cute picture," she commented, handing him the family picture she had been admiring earlier. James looked at it and a longing smile crept onto his face.

"My mum's favorite." He said, taking the picture and putting it to his side.

"Aww!" Lily laughed as her eyes met the next picture. James was seated in front of a large chocolate frosted cake, an eager grin on his baby face and his eyes shining with excitement as he stared at the one tiny candle flickering in the smack dab middle of the cake. Picture James would gather all his strength, puff up his cheeks, and blow at the candle. As the candle went out, you could hear many other little squeaks and squeals of glee.

"My first birthday party, I tried to eat the whole cake." He said, as Lily changed the picture.

Next there were two boys. One was obviously James, you could tell with his scraggly black hair. Next to him was another small kid, Sirius. You could sort of tell it was him, his hair was wavy and swift just not as long. They were both growling at the camera, smudges of dirt on their noses and cheeks. Behind them was a large mud puddle, and judging by the muddy toes and trails of dirt, you could tell they had just finished playing around in the mud.

"Is that Sirius?" Lily smiled, holding up the picture.

"We've been friends for that long." He responded proudly to her comments.

"You two are adorable!" Lily gaped.

"You think we're cute? Look at Remus." Lily changed to the next picture, and began to aww even more enthusiastically. There was a poutey looking kid, his cheeks still chubby with baby fat. He had large glowing eyes, much like his current self. He was sucking his thumb, scribbling a piece of artwork on a paper with a blue crayon.

"OH MY GOD!" Lily snatched the picture from James' hand and stared at it. "That's Remus!" She exclaimed.

James laughed at her reaction, "His mum and mine were friends."

Lily looked at him, "In this picture...was he...?"

James understood and shook his head sadly, "No, he was bit when he was eight."

"Eight?" Lily asked, shocked.

James nodded his head sadly, and Lily looked sickeningly sad. She moved onto the next picture, which showed James, Remus, and Sirius, now a little older, riding their tricycles down a sidewalk. Lily smiled again, and changed the picture, resting her head on James shoulder.

"What about this one?" She asked, one pile of pictures later.

"That would be my first girlfriend," James admitted sheepishly.

Lily gaped at the picture, and then at him, "This is even before Hogwarts."

"I was nine and a half." He confessed.

"Wow. She is pretty cute though," Lily admitted, squinting at the giggling girl.

"That's Jenna," James grinned.

"Ugh gross. Next," She discarded the picture quickly and looked at the next one, making James laugh.

"That's me getting my letter. I don't know why my parents took a picture of that," James rolled his eyes.

"Hey, I wish I had a picture of me getting my letter. It was the best moment of my life."

The next photograph had James in large robes, grinning widely, a trunk and owl cage at his right. They were outside a large house, which Lily guessed to be their manor.

"Oh wow, were we that small when we came to Hogwarts?" Lily asked.

"I didn't feel that small when I came."

"Neither did I. You were a cute first year!"

James gave her an odd look, "You didn't think so in first year."

"Of course not!" Lily exclaimed, "You're cute now, looking back, in a 'aww you're so small' kind of way. Not a 'let me shag you' way." She rolled her eyes for the extra effect.

"Good to know." James smirked.

"Shut up. Next?"

Neither knew how long they spent there in the closet looking at James' old pictures, but by the time they were finished both their eyelids were feeling heavy, and they had to fight back to stay awake. James was sitting up against the wall, his legs straight out in front of him. Lily's head was resting near his knee and lap, feeling comfortable enough to closer her eyes right there and sleep.

"Come on, lets go to sleep now." James said, bobbing his knees violently up and down to make her get up. Her head bounced up and down, but other than that she didn't budge.

"No, I'm comfortable." She groaned after he stopped.

"I'm not, get up," he ordered, sighing.

"Fine." Lily agreed reluctantly, yawning before rolling off his legs. Their minds not working as fast as they should be, it took James a few moments to realize she was off and to stand up. Lily on the other hand was lying there, perfectly relaxed, on the closet floor.

"Are you coming? Or do you plan on sleeping in my closet tonight."

For a brief moment James thought she was asleep, before he heard a grunting noise, and Lily was up. She stumbled over to him, leaning on his shoulder for support. Not that it was much help, seeing as James also klutzy due to the drowsiness in his body. James stumbled over to his bed, dragging Lily along with him. He plopped down on his bed, Lily doing the same but on the other side. It must have been minutes later when James realized she was there.

"Geroff." He mumbled, kicking her lamely with his leg.

"No."

"And turn off the light when you're going out." He added, ignoring her stubborn decline.

She sighed and rolled off the bed, this time landing skillfully on her two legs.

"Fine. Good night, you ungrateful prat."

James grunted in response.

* * *

**Attention:** I think I'm going to start up another story. I think. Its not too original, just basically Lily and James break up after Hogwarts, five years later they meet up but Lily is engaged...etc...etc. AU, like all my stories. You think it'd be good? Please tell me :) Thanks!

I didnt like the ending to this chatper too much, sorry this was sort of short. I've got the next few chapters and a little past the halloween carnival written out, so all i need now is reviews for motivation. Come on, REVIEW! REVIEW!

And now to answer all the lovely people who did review last time:

trashcan522-Thanks for reviewing :)

Manny- I'm such a slow updater, I'm sorry for the delay! Tell me how you thought their reaction was. I didnt really describe it much, did I? Ah, well...

Chrissy- Oh dont worry, Lily isnt failing anymore, it was just the very first week. Nah, we can't have a Head Girl failin! Thanks for reviewing:) And yes, thats exactly the kind of reaction I want for Mary! Dont worry, you'll be very happy when James does break up with her.

Triquetra- Nice long review :) I swear, I've read way too many fics. I've started to refer 'making out' as 'snogging', and most my friends have no clue what the hell that is.

Insane Psychopathic Girls- I'm very sorry you dont like my story. Oh well, I can't really please everyone can I? But I have to say, the first seven chapters or so I'm not that happy with. So, just out of curiosity, did you actually read all of it? And next time you drop a critisism, it would help to explain exactly what it is that you dont like. I'm sure 'Awesomley Awesome House' isnt it.

firewalker- aww, thanks for reviewing!

Madame Daphne- Thanks for rewiewing, I'm incredibly glad you like it. I do my best to keep it surprising. :)

Crimson Girl- Thanks for reviewing, glad you liked the chapter!

Nikki- Yes, my camping trip was very fun, thanks! I'm glad you disklike Mary, thats the way peopel are supposed to react. Hehe, thanks for rewiewing!

ChiyoChanxxx- Thanks for reviewing, and for the late happy birthday!I appreciate it just as much :) Go us 13 year olds! Ah...I dont know if I liked Lily being a pirate...but I had a spark of idea and then i started writing but then i decided i didnt like it but was too lazy to change the pirate thing. I'm such a procrastinator...seriously...

KatKit- Dont worry, Leah will get better:) Thanks for reviewing!

Althea


	19. Halloween!

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything, its all JK's. Yeah, im running out of smart-ass comments. _

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* * *

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_Previously_

_"And turn off the light when you're going out." He added, ignoring her stubborn decline._

_She sighed and rolled off the bed, this time landing skillfully on her two legs._

_"Fine. Good night, you ungrateful prat."_

_James grunted in response._

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen: Halloween!**

Lily stepped out of Honeydukes innocently enough, not even the current cashier standing behind the register noticing she had just immerged from the cellar. Did the employees even know about the secret passage? She was swinging a bag full of chocolate frogs in one hand, her pocket a tad bit lighter due to the loss of the bet. Thinking of Leah, she had stopped and grabbed some more candy in hopes it would lighten up her friend's mood. Now Lily was heading off towards a store to buy a few more jeans, and anything else that would catch her interest for the new, chillier season.

An hour or so later she came out of the store with two more jeans and a shirt. She had also found a few things to accent her costume, and she decided she was better off buying it than letting James transfigure it for her. Thinking about the upcoming festival made her incredibly nervous. Yes, they had everything worked out and yes, people were looking forward to it, but still a hundred worst case scenarios continued to slip through the cracks in her reassurance.

As she was making her way back to Honeydukes, she skimmed by one of James' favorite stores: The Quiditch shop. She stopped at its doors for a moment, and decided to look inside. She'd been in there quite a few times, following Remus in, but had never really looked around, so she decided she might as well.

It was actually quite fun, there were mostly males browsing through the broom models. Lily at the moment had a decent broom, nothing too fancy but definitely got the job done. But she could use an update, couldn't she? And look at these servicing kits! They could probably work wonders upon her worn down broom...

Shaking the temptations out of her head, she walked towards the exit door to continue back to Hogwarts, when a magazine caught her eye. 'Quiditch World' it read in bold letters. Not a very creative title, Lily thought, but hadn't she seen James reading one of them and complaining he still had to get the latest issue? Last she knew, he didn't have it, and it wouldn't really hurt buying it for him, right? Before she could think again, she snatched the magazine hastily off the rack and paid for it quickly at the register.

As the cashier wrung up, Lily bit her lip impatiently. She was confusing herself as to why exactly she was acting so fidgety, and decided it was because usually, she never used to buy random things casually for her guy friends. That was something Mary was supposed to do, she was supposed to pass this shop and think of her darling James and buy him a simple something. The cashier said something Lily didn't quite listen to, and she snatched her magazine and walked out the door. Lily was being silly, over reacting over a little spark of thought. Only because she happened to think of James when she walked into the Quiditch store, it didn't mean ANYTHING. Exactly! Then WHY was she feeling so weird?

She used the clouding sky as a temporary distraction to her thoughts, and began to notice how quickly fall was rushing in. It was in the air, the crisp, rainy scent that foretold the falling of the leaves. At this rate, Lily thought, Christmas would rush by and soon they'd all be graduating...

No, she didn't want to think about that either. Luckily for her, she didn't have to come up with another distraction, as now she was in front of Honeydukes and ready to sneak back into Hogwarts. Lily didn't have the Marauder's Map, as the guys refused to let her use it without supervision. So now she was slightly paranoid as she carefully opened the hidden trap door behind the statue of the humped witch. After making sure nobody was in the hallway, she hastily stepped out and grabbed her bags, swinging them as she made her way to the Head Dormitories. She walked up her stairs and entered James' room, and was happy to see that all four Marauders were sitting on his bed lazily.

"Hello!" Lily cried in a singsong voice.

The four greeted her lazily.

"Am I interrupting something?" She asked, she actually hadn't seen the four together in a good deal of time.

"Nah," Sirius responded, "We're quite bored."

"Well, James, I got your chocolate frogs. Oh, and I remember you complaining about not having the latest 'Quiditch World' issue, so I got that for you." She said casually, tossing both his things on his lap.

James looked sort of surprised but pleased, and Sirius was staring at Lily inquisitively.

"Thanks Lils! You honestly didn't have to. You're too nice!" He began to eagerly flip through it with a wild grin on his face he only got when Quiditch was around.

She shrugged, "No problem."

"You got him a magazine?" Sirius burst out, and Lily turned to glare at him.

"Yes, Siri darling, do you have anything to say?" She said bitterly.

"Oh, nothing at all, but it was awfully sweet of you to think of Jamsie." He said, making her imply everything he wasn't going to dare say.

Lily grabbed a pillow and threw it at his head before walking away into her own room, mumbling incoherent things that definitely seemed like death wishes to Sirius.

Much to Lily's discomfort and everyone else's joy, Halloween came zooming by. Along with the passing days flew their free time, as Professors began to load them with homework like crazy. The seventh years were often seen in the library or working fervently on an assignment outside or in the common rooms. Lily had already given detention to two third years who were laughing to loudly, talking about how they were going to go outside and spend the day at the lake. She was glad to say, however, that her grades were doing very well, and that the drop in her marks had just been temporary. However sometimes it was tempting not to punch yourself in the face and fake a nosbleed just to get out of one class, although then you'd have so much work to catch up on you'd have to land yourself in Azkaban or six feet under to get out of it.

Everyone was working hard, even if it was not like them to study. Remus, naturally being very smart, was predicted to do very well on the N.E.W.Ts. James had most the subjects down, he too being naturally talented on most subjects. He had no doubt he would pass most his subjects with an 'Exceeding Expectations' or an 'Outstanding'. Sirius, although it took a bit more work, was doing pretty well. Peter, though, was a different story. He was barley pulling along, with his clumsiness and small memory and bowling-ball like structure, it was no surprise. The remaining Marauders, and even Lily sometimes, would tutor him in subjects and would be relieved whenever he got an 'A' for Acceptable.

Luckily, Halloween fell on a Saturday, giving students the chance to either have finished their homework a day before or resort to doing it the next day. Lily and Remus had done theirs on Monday, but the remaining Marauders had decided upon doing it on Sunday.

Lily was in her room, studying her costume and adjusting the final touches, and was quite pleased with her work when she tried it on. She had sleek black pants that stopped at her ankles, right where two big black boots came in. Normally, she wouldn't wear these boots, seeing as they were slightly uncomfortable, but Halloween was an exception. Then her shirt, which had flowing, wavy white sleeves and dipped in the front. It was rather short, once again; an exception for Halloween. It came up an inch or two below her chest and tied up in the front. Slipping a necklace over her head and a patch over her eye, she looked in the mirror and laughed. Ok, so the costume as a tad bit revealing, but it was Halloween and she was seventeen, it wasn't wrong.

Her chunky boots clunking, she walked over to James' room, where the rest of the Marauders were. Lucky for her, they had just finished getting dressed. Lily placed her hands on her hips and surveyed the boys critically. Sirius, true to his word, had some red leather jeans gripping tightly to his legs. His black boots made him look like a male hooker, and if he just took off his shirt Lily would easily have been able to believe he picked up chicks outside of bars.

Lily snorted loudly as she saw James, and by the reluctant look on his face she could tell that he did not want to be doing this. Well, Lily didn't blame him.

"What are you supposed to be?" She laughed.

James threw her a glare as he buttoned up his red shirt, "Shut up. Mary made me."

"I knew that, but tell me what you are!" She insisted.

When he didn't answer, Remus piped in, "He's a prince."

Lily doubled over in laughter, completely oblivious to the death glares coming her way.

"Shut up." He repeated impatiently.

Lily wiped tears of mirth from her face and looked up from her crouching position on the floor, "That is just too funny. Mary's got you, POW!" she made a whipping motion, "whipped." She stood up on her two feet and gave James another funny look before turning to Remus.

"Hey! You're not dressed up!" She gasped, seeing Remus' normal clothes, although his face was a slight bit more pale than usual.

Remus shrugged, "Wasn't really up to it. Full moon soon, just not really in the mood."

"Oh come on! Here, you can wear my hat." Lily lifted the pirate hat from her head and rested it on Remus'. He gave a small appreciative smile.

"Come on Remi, cheer up. It'll be fun, I promise. I mean, what's more fun than watching a whipped knight-in-shining-armor do brave deeds for his princess?" She asked innocently, giving James a teasing look. He didn't see the humor in it.

Remus grinned, "I'll come, but I am most definitely not dressing up."

"Fine, then I get my hat back." Lily put her hat back on her head and patted Remus on the shoulder before turning to the door.

"You guys ready then?" She asked, turning her head back at them.

Sirius let out a hoot of excitement, Remus shrugged, and James mumbled something as he looked in the mirror.

"I'll take that as a yes, come on." She led them out of the portrait hole (James' exit was a portrait). The boys followed silently behind her, Sirius putting a strut in his walk.

Lily began walking backwards, facing them as she spoke, "Oh come on! Sirius is the only one slightly enthusiastic. James, you helped do this, you should at least enjoy yourself." She scolded, and James shrugged.

"Sorta hard when you're dressed up as a prince." He mumbled.

"Hey, nobody is forcing you to dress up like a prince!" She reminded him before turning back around.

"Oh, and nice costume Lils," James smirked, patting her partly bare back.

She rolled her eyes and said nothing as they continued to walk. As they arrived at the Great Hall, it was completely deserted except for the glittering decorations, the prefects, and them. The whole room's ceiling was decorated to look like a giant cave, with glittering stalactites looming downward from the ceiling, a mysterious and mystifying glow among them. There were bats hovering over the top of the ceiling, the rustling of wings echoing through the silent room. Halloween pumpkins glowed dangerously in the air, bobbing slowly up and down in the non-existent wind. The ground had been enchanted to look like the ground outside, but once you stepped onto it, it felt like the same old marble floor. Lily and James even found a way to make it look like leaves were rustling through the ground, but if you touched one, it would evaporate like water before your very eyes. However if you kicked them or walked through them, they seemed like absolutely normal leaves. Candles and torches lit it up enough for everyone to see each other from the other side of the room, but somehow still let the shadows lurk in their corners and in the ceilings. The prefects were looking around talking excitedly, surveying their work.

"Wow," Remus whispered, bringing them all from the trance. Lily had been here to set everything up, but it had been in daylight then, and it wasn't nearly as amazing as it was now, at night.

"We did a good job," James gulped, trying not to sound to excited.

"Good job? Its bloody amazing guys!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Yeah," Lily said proudly. "Lets go down stairs, James, we need to talk to the prefects."

They all galloped down the stairs, James and Lily running ahead to talk to the prefects. They all smiled and greeted them both. They had all warmed up to Lily, with the prefect meetings and just getting to know her a bit more. It certainly made talking in front of them so much easier...

"This is amazing! We all did a great job! Too bad we couldn't do the trick or treating though." Lily congratulated enthusiastically, hardly seeming bothered by the fact that they weren't able to fit in Trick-Or-Treating.

"I really like it, especially the leaves," Jerry Bones added, kicking them about to prove his point.

"And the games, I think we did a good job on those," James said.

"And what are you supposed to be?" One girl piped up, and James grumbled.

"He's a prince, don't tease the poor boy about it, I already have." Lily said, patting his shoulder reassuringly.

James and Lily and a few of the Prefects showed Remus, Sirius and Peter (who had just now showed up, dressed up as a girl because of a lost bet) outside, which seemed like a fairground. It had (in Lily's opinion) eerie carnival music, and although there was no Ferris wheel, there were plenty of games. One for example, was bobbing for apples, but the apples did something whenever you bit into them. If you were lucky, you got one that began to cry loudly. However other more unfortunate souls got ones that tasted like rotten food or one that actually bit you back! Another game consisted of throwing darts at balloons, and depending on which balloon you hit, they turned into a special prize and fell into your arms. There were plenty of games like this outside to keep everyone entertained for hours, or at least, those who weren't busy dancing.

Five minutes later, inside, people began to pour in from all directions. Ghosts swooped in from ceilings (and they had obviously brought a few friends along) and some people even shrieked as they did so. It must have been the atmosphere that was making everybody jumpy. Nobody had gotten outside yet, seeing as they couldn't because the doors were locked, and they were all waiting patiently for Dumbledore to make a quick opening speech.

And when he rose to the stands the mild chattering ceased and Dumbledore smiled approvingly. Lily and James were seated on the stage and the prefects at the bottom of it. Lily skimmed the student body with critical eyes, silently laughing to herself all the silly costumes, weird ones, and the few creative ones. Professor Filtwick was dressed up as a leprechaun, looking very out of place in the dark looking setting, making Lily have to bite her lip painfully hard to keep form bursting into spontaneous laughter. Lily knew she should be listening to Dumbledore's quick speech...but it was hard not to get distracted.

The loud cheering brought Lily back into the scene, and stood up and began to clap loudly as if she had been listening all along. People began to rush outside, while some of the couples stayed where they were.

"Remember James, you have the stands in thirty minutes!" Lily reminded him as he ran away to find Mary. He gave her thumbs up before disappearing into the crowd.

She turned around, a clipboard at hand, to find Dumbledore surveying the room with great approval.

"Well, I must say, you and James did an amazing job! It looks wonderful, it's a pitty we don't have wonderful Heads like you both every year!" He said, giving her an energetic smile that was accented by his shimmering, pale blue eyes.

"Thank you Headmaster. It was a lot of work..." she chuckled nervously.

"I especially like the leaves, how ever did you get them to do that?" He asked in an amused manner as he attempted to pick up some of the leaves fluttering among the ground.

Lily laughed and then excused herself, "Excuse me Headmaster, but I have to go, I'm running some of the carnival games outside."

"Ah yes, run along now, don't let me make you late!" He gave her a wink before turning around gracefully and walking towards Professor McGonogall, who was failing to look professional as she kicked the leaves around, she too amazed.

Lily grinned to herself, it seemed as if this would turn out to be a huge success. She had seen everyone's face when they came in; it had been exactly like hers. They were all awed, and she was glad, James and her put a lot of planning and hard work into it. But she was very proud of the Prefects as well, they were all eager to help any way possible. She swished her way through the fake ground and opened the large oak doors. Some bats swooped over her head, and heard a third year in the background screaming loudly, "IT POOPED ON ME!"

Some music began to play, but was quickly shut out as the doors slammed shut behind her. In front of her, yet another amazing display met her eyes. She could hear the giggling of the first years and the loud, obnoxious, heavy laughter that could only belong to the Marauders. Or at least, three of them. She hurried up to them, grinning wildly, weaving in and out through the different stands. There was hardly any need for artificial lighting, as the glowing, almost full moon seemed to be the perfect lantern for this kind of night. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were standing against one of the stalls talking in cheery voices.

"Hey guys!" Lily greeted as she drew nearer.

"Hey Lils!" They chorused, giving a slight wave.

"Whew, right on time." Lily exclaimed breathlessly as she opened the doors to one of the stalls. She stepped inside, closing the door behind her, and walked up to the front. The booth was purple with silver lettering that read in glistening font 'Toss the Snitch!'. This game consisted of kids tossing a replica of a snitch (luckily these didn't jitter in your hand and fly through the air) into a bowl, where you'd receive a different gift depending on how far you shot it. So far nobody was in line, so Lily leaned on the counter to talk to the guys about any random subject that popped into her mind.

"So, what do you think?"

"I think you all did a wonderful job." Remus complimented sincerely.

"Yeah...I just wish Leah could be here, it doesn't seem quite right without her." Lily commented, sighing sadly.

Everyone nodded glumly. There was a missing spot in the Gryffindor table, and whenever Lily sat down, she had to keep herself from accidentally blurting out 'Where is Leah?'. Whenever she saw something funny or sad, on instinct she thought to herself, "I've gotta tell Leah this...". Each time she did this it gave her a quick pang in her heart, but she had gotten used to that feeling now and was able to cope with it, to her reluctance.

Their glum mood was interrupted when four rowdy second years ran up to the booth, all pushing and fighting over who got to go first. With a grin, Lily said goodbye to her friends and grabbed a handful of Snitch's for each of the kids. Doing the booths was entertaining, she got to talk to everyone as they came up, laugh about something with them, or receive flattering compliments on the carnival. She was surprised when Gregory Nolen, a red-headed Prefect, told her it was her break time and that he would take over the booth for the rest of the night.

Lily eagerly grabbed her hat, waving to Greg as she stepped out of the booth. She adjusted her hat and quickly surveyed her clothing to make sure it was all in place, and then ran off to the Great Hall, where most of the seventh years, and no doubt her friends, were all lingering about. As she clambered up the stairs a group of ghosts swooped down, all giving her a quick wave and a 'Happy Halloween!'. It must be fun to be a ghost on Halloween, Lily thought happily.

She couldn't help but grin once again as she entered the room, it all fit exactly to her expectations and more. She had had a vision in her head, James too, and when they both stirred them together it was more than either had ever hoped for.

A dreary band made up entirely of ghosts that Lily didn't remember booking was playing subtly in the background. Students, mostly fifth years and up, were all hanging around lazily with their friends or significant other, drinking punch or munching up some cake that had been charmed to look rotten. James had come up with that, Lily personally didn't find the idea too appetizing...

Peering over the crowd of heads, Lily easily spotted her friends and quickly wove her way through the dance floor to get to them. Peter, Remus, Sirius, James, Mary, and Sirius' date were all sitting at one large round table set off to the corner of the room, so that the dancing couples would not have to worry about dodging tables. They all greeted her warmly, Sirius' date rather reluctantly.

"Enjoying yourselves?" She asked them, raising her voice over the music.

"You did a wonderful job Lily," Mary complimented brightly, and Lily gave her a warm smile.

"Thank you. I'm glad you like it." Lily poured herself some punch coolly and congratulated herself silently. She'd kept James' promise and gone out of her way to make Mary feel welcomer.

Sipping her punch idly, she looked over at Remus, who was looking rather bored and sick as he sat there with his head in his arm. Obviously thinking about Leah...and how it would be if she were here.

Lily got up out of her side and walked up to him, stopping behind him. He looked at her a and gave her a small smile, "Hey Lily."

"Remus," she smiled, "Come on, lets go dance, you look too bored for your own good."

He shook his head, "No thanks, I'm not really up to it."

"Please!" She begged, pouting out her lower lip dramatically.

He looked at her and softened, "Fine." Remus gave up and sat up, Lily grabbing him by the arm and dragging him over to the dance floor where a moderately fast song was playing by a much better band now.

"Now smile and pretend like you want to be here," Lily ordered before grabbing onto his shoulders.

They danced, twirled, and laughed like good friends, just having fun and trying to lighten up both their moods. Dancing was enjoyable, moving your body freely to the beat was relieving. To Lily it didn't matter if she danced with friends or whatever, as long as they both ended up enjoying it. And seeing as Remus was laughing enjoyably to a comment Lily made, she had guessed that he _had _enjoyed it.

They returned back to their table, where Sirius was now looking rather glum as his date was talking rapidly about something he obviously did not give a care in the world about. Lily said goodbye to Remus and decided Sirius needed saving, so she popped up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.

He jumped, and his date, what was her name...Chrissie? Well, the girl, whatever her name was, looked up at Lily and then at her hand placed on her dates shoulder and her smile turned into a scowl.

"Excuse me, do you think I could borrow Sirius for a bit?" Lily asked sweetly.

"Bye Jessie-"

"Chrissie!"

"Chrissie, sorry. I'll be back in umm... a quick while." He said quickly, grabbing Lily by the arm and dragging them both as far away as possible from Chrissie's large mouth.

"Wow, eager to get away aren't you?" Lily laughed as he quickly began to dance with her.

"Yeah. Her mouth might be great at kissing, but when she talks...it just goes on and on..." he said in a complete state of shock. He twirled Lily around casually, still trying to rid himself of the ringing in his ears that had taken the sound of her squeaking voice.

"You mean the great Sirius Black could not stop her from talking? Why, I thought you could make girls do anything!" Lily mocked.

"Obviously not." He grumbled and Lily laughed despite of herself.

Lily danced with Sirius for a while, joking while they did so. When Lily spotted him eyeing a slim brunette sitting down on a bench, she let him free and swore not to tell Chrissie where he had gone off.

However, as she was going to go back and sit after a long time of dancing, she was met by James, Mary-free.

"Wow, where's Mary?" She asked in shock. During carnivals, dances, and balls Lily figured they'd be joined at the hip.

"Oh, she said she was going to talk to some friends for a while. And I got bored, so shall we dance?" He asked her casually.

Lily shrugged, "Why not? But I swear this is the last time I'm dancing with anyone for a long while..." she let James drag her out and he, unlike the other two friends, put his hands directly onto her waist. His warm hands tingled against her bare back, making her have the slightest of shivers. James seemed not to notice, and quickly began to talk passionately about something or the other, but Lily was only half listening. She was feeling rather uncomfortable, or more nervous, realizing she was being more critical with James than she had been with Sirius and Remus. Lily was more aware of the warmth she got from his hands simply placed on her waist, and that she found herself comfortable in his arms, even as friendly as he was attempting for it to be. It almost scared her when he wrapped his arms around her thin waist a bit tighter, as it seemed she was the only one who noticed. Why was she acting like this? Was she going crazy?

Lily was glad when James stopped dancing, letting his hands drop from her waist. Lily blinked and brought her arms down from his neck and put them to her side.

"Are you okay?" He asked in a concerned tone, looking down to peer at her face.

"What? Oh, I'm fine." She lied, trying to steer his gaze away from her.

He shrugged, "Alright. Thank you for dancing with me," he gave her a small playful bow, making Lily laugh despite her shock. She could still feel the tingle where his hands had been...

"You're quite welcome, sir." She curtsied, wobbling slightly, and it was James' turn to laugh at her.

"You're not a very well mannered young lady, you know that?" He chuckled.

Lily shrugged, "At least I can hit you and make it hurt."

"That's not very relevant."

"So?"

He slung an arm around her shoulder and walked with her back to the table, where Mary was sitting, legs crossed, waiting patiently.

"James!" She exclaimed as she saw him approach.

"Hey Mary," he greeted fondly, dropping his arm from Lily's shoulder and reaching out to take her hand.

"Hello Mary," Lily said politely, and Mary gave her a welcoming smile. But what was it...jealousy that was leaking into her face?

She wasn't able to tell, as Mary and James quickly sat down at the table and began to eat away at some food that Sirius had picked up for them at the snack table.

They all ate with small talk, as conversation seemed restricted with Mary and Sirius' date sitting there.

"Hey Lils," James called in a teasing manner, tapping her on the shoulder, "Amos Diggory is over there...why don't you go talk to him?" He suggested, giving her an annoying grin as she glared at him

"Oh shut up!" Lily smacked him hard upside the head, reaching over Mary to do so.

As James rubbed his head in pain, Mary suddenly gasped, "Oh James come on it's a slow song! Lets go dance!" She pleaded, getting up from the bench and tugging at his arm impatiently.

"Well...okay." He agreed reluctantly, and took her hand and dragged her out to the dance floor.

"Pow Pow!" Lily made a whipping motion at James when he looked back, and he shook his head, trying not to laugh.

Curiosity got the better of Lily, and she turned around and watched James sweep her off into the dance floor. Both their costumes, which were blue, matched almost perfectly in their eccentric design. Mary, to no surprise, was dressed up as a princess, and Lily had to admit, she looked amazing in it. Her gown was strapless, rather tight around the chest and stomach, but then leaping out into a elegant wave of assorted cloths that glittered and shone through each layer. She even had a small tiara placed upon her head, making her look delicate and fragile. Lily looked at James' face, and instantly could tell that he was in paradise.

It was a look Lily had never seem him wear before, it was a smile of admiration that he had as he spun Mary around, and received her back into his clutch when she slowed. She could tell, as he looked down at Mary's face, that there was an unspoken spark between them too that nobody but them two had bothered to listen to, and it was evident now that James had not been completely falling in love for all the wrong reasons. In fact, right now, as they danced together holding close at each other, it seemed like they were almost entirely new people.

And as James swung her out once again, Mary sprung to life right before Lily's eyes. It was then she realized, that Mary too was more human than Lily had given her credit for. Mary had her hopes, her dreams, her fears, her passions, and her secrets. Everyone has a secret life, a secret face, one that nobody but them ever wholly saw. Lily caught a rare, but unmistakable glimpse of that unknown face for a second... And Lily could tell, by the look upon that smiling face, that Mary was crazy for her best friend James, and there was no denying it.

What was this secret life, secret tale of love that they both had been keeping quietly to themselves? Who was the Mary who James claimed to had fallen in love with, there was obviously more to the girl than meets the eye. Were everybody's views on this girl different, but all of them wrong? But only because there was more didn't mean that it was necessarily good...behind that permanent outwards smile might be a malicious, twisted girl trying to manifest her way out. But there might not. And suddenly, Mary became yet another intoxicating mystery that Lily just could not figure out.

Her eyes focused on James...and she felt a twinge of an unfamiliar feeling in her stomach. It was gone as quickly as it came however, so she had no time to even be fully aware that she had felt something. Something else took over...and it was a slight bit of jealousy towards Mary. Not only towards Mary, but to every other couple in the whole room...in the whole school! Why couldn't it be simple for Lily like it had been for most of them, why couldn't she have somebody to come back to when she had a horrible day, who would hug her and kiss her and give her that last bit of confidence and reassurance she needed to feel secure. Lily had always been too independent for her own good, she never had needed a boyfriend to make her happy. Sure, she did have boyfriends here or there, but nothing too serious. But Lily had lately been realizing that she had been missing out of a wonderful thing all these years...and was aware now that you couldn't be secluded, isolated from love for the rest of your life, and that loving, dating, or even liking somebody wasn't wrong. For that moment in time, she would have given almost anything to have somebody, anybody, to love.

(A/N: Somebody to loooooove)

"Lily?"

Lily jumped considerably as Remus lightly tapped her on her shoulder, and she turned irritably to him and breathed, "Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry," he apologized and sat down next to her on the bench, "What ya looking at?" He asked curiously, following her gaze to the dancing couple.

She looked away from Mary and James and said simply, "Nothing."

He shrugged, "Then would you mind tell me what you're thinking?"

It was Lily's turn to shrug, and she stalled by taking a sip of the punch she had forgotten she was holding, "Not much. Just thinking about...how well this turned out...and stuff. Hey listen, I'm going to go help the prefects clean up outside, if anybody asks where I am tell them."

"Okay." Remus shrugged as Lily got up, and quickly made her way back out into the fresh night. She took a deep breath of the needed fresh air, and her head cleared slightly.

The prefects and some teachers were rounding things up, helping bring down the booths or collecting trash off the ground. Lily walked down the stairs and instantly began helping without a word. She needed to get her mind focused on something else, but sadly, by the time everything was all cleaned up, it was only fifteen minutes later than when she had started. The prefects and the teachers carried up the last load of things into the castle, all waving Lily goodbye and complimenting her once again on the job well done. Lily called goodbye and then turned around back to the grounds to find that it was bare and deserted now, except for herself.

And it was silent outside, and the noise inside the Great Hall was beginning to evaporate slowly as well. She knew she had missed the final closing speech, but honestly did not think much of that fact. Lily wasn't quite sure why she was still standing out here, and realized she should probably head in soon. But a few minutes wouldn't hurt...plus, this fresh air was incredibly pleasing.

The wind began to whisper in here ear, and the breeze made the lake ripple, sending the reflection of the almost-full moon wavering. As Lily took in a deep breath, she suddenly got a feeling that she was not the only one outside. She wasn't sure how she got this idea, because she did not feel like she was being watched. It was the atmosphere, the aura that was being blown by the wind. You know how when someone else in the room is angry or sad, how the feeling is contagious? Well, it was like that, except there was nobody else there with her.

This feeling of confusion was soon wiped out of the air as the large doors creaked open behind her. Lily whipped around to see who it was, hoping it was the person she had felt earlier, that way she could have an argument against herself on being insane. But it was only James who was traveling down the stairs towards her, still in his costume. He was smiling widely, and Lily instantly knew it wasn't him she had sensed. As James walked closer, he caught sight of her alarmed face, and his smile quickly changed to that of worry.

"You okay?" He asked, placing a worried hand on her shoulder.

Lily nodded quickly, "Yeah, just cold."

"Then why don't you go inside? Everyone's left now. How long have you been out here?" He asked, bombarding her with questions one after another.

Lily shrugged and began to walk further from the stairs, out deeper into the grounds, silently hoping to herself she'd catch a glimpse of another person, that way she wouldn't feel totally insane. James followed inquisitively, and asked again, "Are you sure nothings wrong?"

Lily turned to face him and said in a confused tone, "No, nothings wrong. Its just...not right."

James raised an eyebrow and put a hand in his pocket, "Ah yes, I see. You have a way with words Lily."

Lily laughed softly, "I know. Don't mind me, I think its just Halloween that's put me into this...mysterious mood. You can go back in, I'll stay out here a while longer."

"I'll stay with you then. What are you thinking?" He asked curiously, staring at her face intently.

Why was everyone asking her this?

"I-" should she tell him about what she was thinking with Mary? "I-" or about how she got all tingly when she was dancing with her "Um-" or how about she just didn't say anything at all? That seemed like a good idea, until a random question burst out of her mouth so fast she wasn't able to catch it and put it back.

"If you died right now would you be happy with your life?" Lily asked randomly, saying it out loud without thinking twice. Ok, so it could have been worse, usually whenever she burst out random thoughts, they got her into bad situations.

James looked at her in surprise, "What?"

Behind her, Lily heard a faint rustling sound of leaves and a twig crack. Her heart jumped slightly, and she had to control herself from whirling around frantically.

"Nothing, It's getting cold, I think you're right, lets go in." She made up an excuse to go inside, Lily was afraid of what would happen if she stayed out any longer.

Without another word she turned towards the door and walked briskly towards it, head down and eyes brushing the manicured, luscious grass. She heard James' footsteps behind her and she could easily imagine the baffled, worried, and pissed look on his face at the moment.

Once they both reached the top of the stairs, Lily turned around to face James, wearing the exact expression she had imagined him with. She sighed.

"Sorry if I'm being an ungrateful ass, and thank you for worrying, but you don't have to. I'm just confused, and don't ask me what about." She added as he opened his mouth to protest.

His face softened slightly, "Alright, but when you figure it out tell me okay?" He asked. Lily nodded, but honestly doubted she would.

James pushed open the door and held it there for her politely. Lily took a quick glance over her shoulder before walking through, and caught her breath but dared not to look back. She could have sworn, even though dark night shadows cast upon the threatening forest are misleading, that she had seen a dark looming silhouette of a lean man making his way into the forest.

James' silent stares were evident to Lily, she could feel them burning into the back of her head as she froze in her tracks once inside. He slowly closed the doors and walked over to her and stood next to her, studying her closely.

"Ready?"

"Aha." She said meekly before following James' quick pace up the stairs.

Lily had placed a 'Fading Charm' on the cave-like structure covering the walls and the "dirt ground". It was timed to last about the same amount as the ball, and now you could only catch a glimpse of it if you stared at the air intently. You could see a slight brownish-gray color dipping in and out, still lingering in the air. But, for the most part, the Great Hall was back to normal.

The walk up to their dorms was quiet, Lily trying to look at everything but James. James on the other hand, was looking at nothing but her, as if maybe he could decipher what she was thinking form the look on her face. They both climbed through James' portrait, since the passage they had taken back was closer.

James walked over to his wardrobe, pulling off his shirt, still not speaking a word. Lily turned her head away and walked over to the door, where she looked back and gave him a soft smile, "Happy Halloween."

He smiled back at her, "You too, Tiger Lily."

The smile still remaining on her face, she walked into her room and closed the room shut behind her and locking it. She didn't intend on going to bed anytime soon, this was a perfect time to write a long, confusing letter to her dearest friend, Leah like she had promised she would in previous letters.

An good thirty minutes later Lily's clock ticked '12:01', just as she closed up her letter and walked over to her owl, who was cooing softly in her sleep. Another perk of being Head Girl, you got to keep your owl (if you wanted) in your dorm. Not wanting to disturb her sleep (as she knew how that felt like) she set the letter on the desk and decided to wait for tomorrow to send it off.

Lily quickly changed into some pajamas (long shirt and shorts) and after quickly brushing her teeth and washing her face, she quickly sunk into her bed and flipped all the lights off. Just as she was about to close her eyes to drift into comforting sleep, there was a quiet knocking on her door.

"What?" She cried out, snapping up in shock.

The door creaked open, and James tip toed into her room.

"God, don't ever scare me like that." Lily scolded, letting out a quick rush of air.

"Sorry." James apologized sheepishly.

"It's okay, so what's up?" She asked, sitting up completely.

"Happy November first." He grinned, and although Lily couldn't see it, she could tell by the tone of his voice he was grinning.

Lily glanced at the clock, "You too? But surely you didn't interrupt me for this?"

"No. About your question, if I died tomorrow would I be happy with my life? I was thinking about it...And I guess I would. I mean, I've got a perfect girlfriend and I am very happy with her, our relationship is going great. I've got great friends...family...I'm Head Boy. Just...felt like saying that." He told her, now starting to feel rather stupid.

Lily smiled at him, if he was interrupting her near midnight to tell her this, it obviously meant he thought about that question a lot. "I'm glad you feel that way."

"What about you?" He asked, trying not to sound too curious.

Lily shrugged, "I don't know. I don't plan on dying any time soon, mind you, but I just...I don't know."

"Well, sleep on it, and maybe you'll know tomorrow." He suggested, leaning down to give her a quick goodnight hug. Lily accepted it gratefully, and an idea slipped into her mind. As James went to pull away, Lily stubbornly continued to hug him, giving him a tight squeeze and pecking him on the cheek.

No, nothing. No feeling, no tingle, she was okay. James just grinned and chuckled, "Goodnight Lily."

"Night," she called back as she plopped down on her side with a smile on her face, falling asleep more easily than she had thought she would. Now knowing there was no feelings for her friend, even the slightest, it was one less burden she was grateful she didn't have to deal with.

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**Crimson Girl**- Ah, I'm sorry! I hope this was faster than before!

**HarryNDracosDarlin**- WOW! I was completely flattered and swept away by all your reviews! I'm incredibly happy you love my story. I LOVE YOU! Eh, sorry. I hope this chapter was okay. Thank you so much for reviewing! You brightened my day considerably.

**Firewalker**- thanks for reviewing :)

**CyaChanxx**- Thanks! I'll probably post up the new story when I'm further into this one. Thank you for rewviwing!

Wow...isn't that sad...I only got **FOUR** reviewers! But the **FOUR** that did review, thank you lots, I love you. Alright, I love you even if you didn't review, but I'll give you a muffin if you review this chapter. Eh, I'm so pathetic I need to bribe people with non-existent objects.

Oh yes, and I love the next chapter, so hurry up and review so I can get pumped up and post it. YEAH! Tell me how you liked Halloween! Have your views on Mary changed any?

You know what? I'm such a dumbass. I had the chapter up on fanfiction (or so I thought) for THREE DAYS before realizing I forgot to take it off Document Manager and actually put in the update! GAH! Oh, and thank the common cold that I'm updating today, I stayed home because I felt like crap.

Adios!


	20. Predictable Love

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: I don't own nada, yadayadayada, all JK Rowling._

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_Previously_

_No, nothing. No feeling, no tingle, she was okay. James just grinned and chuckled, "Goodnight Lily."_

_"Night," she called back as she plopped down on her side with a smile on her face, falling asleep more easily than she had thought she would. Now knowing there was no feelings for her friend, even the slightest, it was one less burden she was grateful she didn't have to deal with._

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**Chapter Twenty: Predictable Love**

Mary studied herself conspicuously in the mirror, observing her reflection critically. She opened a drawer and pulled out a small rhinestone hair clip and fastened it through her silky brown chestnut hair. There, perfect. Slipping her black-heeled shoes on, she spun in front of the mirror for the final effect. James had told her they were going out for dinner, so she was trying harder than normal to look her absolute best. Her red dress was flattering to her figure, which she knew James would love, and fell down right about to her knees. Flattening her dress and giving herself a reassuring glance, she stepped out of her empty dorm and walking gracefully down her stairs.

Although Mary was looking down at her feet, she could feel many male stares as soon as they heard her walking down the stairs. Many of the Ravenclaw boys were very taken with her, she admitted, but she likes James so much better than any of them. Ravenclaw men were just to…studious. Mary liked physical relationships, and all the Ravenclaw boys she had dated were too scared to even kiss her! But not James, he was very blunt and straightforward, and Mary didn't mind one bit. James was handsome and smart, funny and serious, and Mary was proud to have him all for herself. Of course there was that Lily Evans…but she wasn't too much of an interference.

She finally arrived at the hallway where James had instructed her to meet him. Mary saw James waiting patiently for her, and his head jerked up as he heard her heels.

"Hey Mary," James greeted her as she arrived closer, and leaned down, framed her face with his hands and gave her a soft peck on the lips. God, Mary loved it when he kissed her, his lips were so soft, and his hands were always so warm.

"Hi James. So, where are we going?" She asked curiously as James took her hand and dragged her further down the hallway.

"You'll see." Was all he said. They walked a bit longer before he stopped in front of a mirror. He screwed his face up in concentration and paced back and forth three times.

"What are you-" Mary was cut off by a small 'Pop' and a door appeared before them.

Mary gasped, she wasn't even aware there was such a room! Wondering what was inside, she followed close behind James as he opened it.

She looked around in awe at the room before her. The walls were painted a shade of red, which went wonderfully with the elegant polished wood covering the ground. There was a small table for two planted in the middle of the room, with two empty plates and a candle set in the very middle. Assortments of other small objects were placed around the room, making it look like if it was a room in an expensive Italian restaurant.

"Oh my word James!" Mary put her hands to her mouth and looked around the room once again in disbelief.

"I knew you'd like it," he said before kissing her on the head and walking her into the room. He pulled her chair out, giving her the handsome lopsided grin he always had.

Mary sighed happily and took a seat gratefully. After pushing her in like a kind gentleman James seated himself across from her, grinning widely.

"What do you think?" He asked.

"I love it! You're so nice." She said sweetly, flashing him a charming smile.

"Thank you. Now, what would you like to eat m'lady?" He winked.

Mary giggled, "You're so funny! What is there?"

"Anything you want."

Mary seemed perplexed for a moment before saying, "Okay. Well, some pasta would be nice."

In an instant, a delicious looking plate of pasta, exactly how Mary had wanted it, appeared on her plate. Pink lemonade filled the glass next to it, and she looked at him with wide eyes.

"Isn't that cool?" He said eagerly, as food filled his plate as well.

She just nodded, and began to eat her food fervently. James did so as well, and they made a few comments in between, but couldn't find too much to talk about. It wasn't that awkward, but just annoying for James. Sometimes it was hard to find a subject of conversation…for some reason it didn't just ease in naturally like it did when he was talking to his friends, for example Remus, or Lily. Mary didn't like Quiditch…she wasn't that much of a joking kind of person…mostly they just snogged, or took walks, or went to movies (or at least, during summer they did). That's why James had chosen to go to dinner, he really liked Mary, and they hadn't done that many things that just involved talking. And that was one of the key elements to a relationship…or whatever Remus said…

He looked up at her, she was staring fondly at him. Good, so she wasn't completely bored. James didn't worry, once they were done eating, it'd be a lot easier for them to talk.

Mary took her eyes off her food and looked at James while absentmindedly eating her pasta. He had gorgeous hazel eyes…they made her weak in the knees whenever they looked at her. And his unruly black hair…God, his hair had to be one of her favorite features about him. James was such a heartthrob…Jesus, Mary knew she was very, very lucky. And because of this, she wanted to make sure that he didn't leave her any time soon. Not only did she get bragging rights, the jealousy and approval of most girls, but James _was_ a great guy to be around. Sure, if she had to pick his looks or his personality, she'd pick his looks, but that didn't mean she didn't like his personality. He was such a caring, sweet, intelligent man, it was just because he was really, really, really hot that she'd pick his looks.

But she didn't need to worry about loosing him any time soon. Mary knew she was his first serious girlfriend, and was aware that James wasn't too keen on going through his first actual heart break. She wouldn't mind if she dated him for years, actually! Now that she thought about it, life as Mary Potter wouldn't be too shabby either. Mary would fit into the typical, stay at home mother that she'd always seen herself as when she got older. Sweet, with manners, two kids (a boy and a girl), a husband, and filthy rich. Of course, she did not plan on marrying James, but it didn't hurt to just ponder the thought. I mean, it could happen, right?

Mary was one to be very jealous, despite the smile she always wore. Misleading, she knew, but Mary didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. One, they probably wouldn't like her afterwards. Two, if nobody liked her, her life would be completely ruined. Mary thrived, fed off being complimented and having somebody to love her and constantly remind her how pretty or smart she was. Since the moment she had entered Hogwarts, almost every single day she had a boyfriend, even if both parties knew it was only going to last for three days max. Those days in between she always spent sulky and depressed, which was almost like an unfamiliar, unwanted feeling for her. That's why when she found a boy she liked, she kept him as long as humanly possible.

Anyway, Mary was a very dependant type of girl. If anybody threatened her relationship with a boy, in this case James, she would become severely jealous. At this point, nobody seemed to relationship threatening. She was a good friend with all the girls from the J.F.C. (James Fan Club), and she knew for a fact they would not care who was currently dating him as long as it was 'one of them'. The only thing that looked a slight bit intimidating was Lily, for the simple reason that she was very close to James. Mary wouldn't go as far to say that Lily fancied James, but she wouldn't completely rule it out either. After all, things can change in the blink of an eye.

"So Mary, tell me something about yourself." James asked Mary suddenly, and she jerked her head upwards.

She then looked confused, or thoughtful for a moment, "Well, like what?"

James shrugged and confessed, "Anything. I really like you, and I don't know half as much as I wish I knew about you."

He would never admit to any of his friends that he didn't know Mary as well as he should, or as well as most people assumed. James was a bit ashamed of this fact, but kept telling himself this was his first serious girlfriend, he was still new to all this.

She furrowed her brow in thought. Mary liked straightforward requests like 'tell me what your parents are like' or 'what was your childhood like?', but choosing herself was hard…she pondered for a moment…

"Um. You know my mom and Remus' mom were sisters. I'm the only child. Uh," she chuckled, "this is hard."

"Don't make it hard, just simple things. Like…what do you plan on doing after Hogwarts?" He asked, and Mary seemed to have a more instant answer to this one.

"Oh! Well, I want to be a model for Witch Weekly, but I'm not one-hundred percent sure about that. I know seventh year is going to end sooner or later, but I haven't really thought about it." Mary shrugged.

James was slightly surprised. He knew Mary was incredibly intelligent, but when she had such intelligence, why did she want to do something like modeling? James wasn't completely opposed to the idea, because he knew she had a great body, but was just taken aback, everyone he knew had a goal or idea in mind. For example, Lily, she wanted to be an Auror…

"Sounds…fun. I want to be an Auror. My dad's an Auror, it runs in the family." He explained.

Mary giggled, "You're so brave."

James grinned at her, causing her to giggle a little more.

"What about your parents?"

"Oh. Remus never told you?" She asked, now looking much more serious.

"No. What?" He asked, slightly concerned.

"Um. My mother, or his aunt, well, she died when I was four." She admitted, looking down at her empty plate, not brining herself to look up at James.

Words fled from his mouth, he had not been expecting her to tell him that her mother was dead. Remus had never told him! He'd have to throttle him later. But it confused James slightly, the aspect of death in her life, it was so different from what Mary's lifestyle portrayed…

"That's horrible. I know it doest mean much, but I'm sorry." He said quietly.

"Don't worry about it," she said, putting her hands on her lap and looking up, forcing on a little smile, "It was a long time ago." James could tell, the way her eyes were cast downward and the way she was biting her lip, that to her it didn't feel like it was a long time ago.

"So it's only you and your dad in the house?"

"No, my dad's mom is there, too. But she's a deaf grouch." Mary laughed slightly.

"Oh…"

James trailed off awkwardly, and Mary toyed with the few stray strands of pasta left on her plate. Quite suddenly, she gave a shaky sigh and looked up at James once again.

"What're you doing for the winter holidays?" Mary asked innocently, tilting her head to the side and taking a sip of her lemonade. The shock of her moving onwards with the subject so quickly caused James to stumble a little on his thoughts.

"Umm…" James gulped nervously, and noticed she looked quite endearing with her head tilted in that specific angle. "Well, Lily's coming over for the holidays…"

Mary looked almost sour for a moment before clanking her glass a bit harder than intended and began to stare at her nails. James mentally kicked himself, that was smooth…

"And uh, we're having an annual New Years ball, which of course I presume you'll be coming?" He asked, hoping this would cheer her up. Most girls always lit up like light bulbs when somebody even mentioned the prospect of any occasion that involved dressing up.

It worked.

"Oh my God Jamsie, of course! I go every year, they're so entertaining, but this year I'll go especially for you. You've got the most _amazing_ manor!" She said dramatically.

"You've only seen the ballroom, but I'd be glad to show you the rest." He offered coolly.

She squealed, "That'd be so nice! I can't wait!" Mary clapped her hands together. "Oh my God, I have to go shopping for a dress!"

"Vacation doesn't start for another three weeks-"

"But by the time all the best dresses will be gone! Do you know how hard it is to find a suiting muggle dress for my kind of body? They don't make it in my size that often!" She look rushed and anxious, and then turned to James sweetly and gave him a smile before asking, "You won't mind coming with me to buy my dress, would you honey?"

James was about to decline, he honestly did not like shopping, but he couldn't help that damn gorgeous smile of hers…"Alright," he reached out and took her small hands in his larger one and brought it to his mouth, giving her a soft kiss on the knuckles. Mary suppressed a shy giggle, she couldn't resist things like this.

Sitting up from her chair, still holding onto his hand, she made her way around the table, and Mary brought herself straight onto his lap, resting her head in his neck.

"This diner is lovely," she complimented, putting both hands around his neck, whispering her words close in his ear. They both knew it was just a tactic she used to get him to kiss her, but James did not mind one bit. In fact, he was quite pleased.

"So are you," he whispered back. Ok, corny, he was quite aware of that, but Mary did not seem to be concerned with that fact. Well, she didn't have too much time to think about it, anyway. His soft mouth skimmed her delicate lips before pulling her into a deep kiss. James quickly readjusted his seating, yet somehow not leaving Mary's lips once. Although lost almost completely in the entrancing kisses Mary was giving, a part of his mind wandered through his memory, and he could easily point out how many times this had happened to them. They both knew what was going to happen tonight, as it had happened before. They had been quite aware that they weren't going to just have a nice little date the moment the matter was brought up. You could always predict the way things were going to end with them, and was just sealed by the way the other's breath was warm, hot, and tingly on the other's neck. There were no surprises here, just lustful excitement. There were not twists turns, ups or downs, it was all swift, easy, and horribly naive.

I'm glad to say however, that some love is not so predictable…

"Hey Lils?" James asked as he flipped a page of his book.

"Yeah?" She asked through the swift scratching of the quill against parchment.

"Pass me a piece of chocolate," He said, extending his arm casually without looking up from his book.

Lily grabbed a random chocolate with her left hand while she continued writing with her right and placed it absentmindedly onto the upturned palm of his hand.

It was Saturday, the day seemed to be dying slowly to the student's greatest regrets. This was the first break they had received from the heavy loads of homework, and were proud to say they were doing absolutely nothing. Every seventh year would possibly kill to have a day to spend doing nothing, as lately when you found yourself doing nothing it was associated with something going horribly wrong.

Lily lay on her stomach, still in her pajamas at the foot of James' bed, deeply absorbed in a now very long letter to Leah. James was lying lazily in his pajamas (boxers and some shirt) while reading a Defense of the Dark Arts book. N.E.W.T.'s was making everyone paranoid as to their future, and James wad doing as much research as he could on Defense Against the Dark Arts and Aurors.

Lily had been writing Leah almost every day, and vice versa. They both made sure to tell every detail of their day, that way they wouldn't be missing out on anything. It was annoying, yes, it took lots of work, yes, but in the end it was truly worth it. Lily had to admit, one of the set backs of the Wizarding World was the fact that nobody seemed to think that pens were a good idea. James had rolled his eyes when he saw Lily throw down her quill in frustration and pull out a pen, and Lily heard him mutter something about crazy muggles. Anyway, Leah was slowly improving, and she was going to be able to probably visit Lily at the Potter's for Christmas. James had immediately said that he would not mind one bit, and his parents always thought the more, the merrier. Lily was pleased to find that James and Sirius were also writing consistent letters to Leah, as James had informed her earlier.

Signing her name confidently at the bottom of the paper, Lily rolled up the very long parchment and tied it with a string, sealing it and placing it at her side. Now what? Lily observed the room around her, adorned with lopsided Quiditch posters and pants littering the floor, and one of her slippers. She turned to look at the room's owner, whose brow was furrowed in concentration. Deciding she best not break that rare moment of concentration, Lily took into observing him closely instead. His messy hair, handsome eyes. And no, she wasn't ashamed to admit to herself that he had enchanting hazel eyes. Lily had memorized his face, all his looks, facial reactions, it was scary really. When he was angry, she could picture the exact facial expression in her mind, right down to the creased lines in his forehead.

"James?" She asked, forgetting about her silent agreement with herself not to disrupt his concentration.

"Yes?" He responded, not looking at her.

"What are you going to do after Hogwarts?" She asked, dawdling her feet in the air.

He put his book down, and looked at her and sighed, "What?"

"Sorry." She said sheepishly.

"It's okay, I needed a break from reading, its not good for me. So, what were you saying?" He asked, this time actually listening.

Lily sat up and faced him, tilting her head in thought to the side slightly, "What are you doing after Hogwarts?" She repeated.

"You know, I'm going to become an Auror."

"No duh," Lily rolled her eyes, "I mean, other than that. Are you going to live at home?"

"No way."

"Buy a flat with your Marauders? Or are you going to buy yourself a house?"

James thought for a moment before stating bluntly, "I have no idea."

"Oh come on, you've gotta know something! Leah's selling her dads house now, since legally now she can do that. Or something, I don't know, but she's moving out of her house and we're going to rent two separate flats next to each other. What about Mary, you think you're still going to be with her when we graduate?"

James shrugged and said nothing, so Lily rolled her eyes at his lacking ability to make up his mind.

"You're impossible you know that?" She asked teasingly.

"But you still love me," James said, giving her an annoying little grin

"It's impossible not to," Lily retorted playfully.

"I knew it was just a matter of time before you'd fall madly in love with me. No girl can resist my charm." He shot her a mock roguish wink.

"Oh yes, that's me, _madly_ in love with James Potter!" She exclaimed dramatically.

"I'm sorry, lovely Madame, but my heart has already been taken by another."

"Then I'll just have to do something about that, wont I?" She said in a mock seductive voice, trying her hardest to keep a straight face. Alas, she failed, and she completely dissolved in a fit of giggles, head pressed against a mass of untidy bed covers.

James shook his head and chuckled, "You're so weird, you know that?"

"But you still love me," She teased, flashing him her own annoying grin, just as he had.

"I'm not going through this again." James stated.

"Denial, denial." Lily said in a sing-song voice.

A loud bang on the door that sounded much like a body slamming full-force into it made them both jerk their heads towards the door. They heard laughing and then the doorknob turned gently and an amused looking Remus walked in, followed by a Sirius who was rubbing his shoulder and wearing a pained expression on his face. Peter waddled in after, grinning wildly.

"…..Hi?" James greeted questioningly, surprised at their sudden outburst.

"Hello Prongsy dear!" Sirius said over enthusiastically, plopping onto the bed next to Lily and putting an arm around her shoulder.

"We decided you'd slept in to long and it was about time to wake you up." Peter explained.

"Well, Good morning chaps!" Lily exclaimed joyfully.

"You're happy aren't you?" Remus said with a smug look on his face. Lily was about to ask him why he looked so _conceited, _but James opened his mouth first.

"It's about time you came and saved me from her, she's been a total psycho today…"James whispered audibly, shooting a teasing glance at Lily.

"You're in denial, and I'm not a psycho." Lily corrected.

"You're the one who's madly in love with me!" James shot back, and Sirius gasped audibly.

"Lily! You've been cheating on me with _him_?" Sirius exclaimed, looking heartbroken.

Playing along, Lily quickly shook her head, "He lies! He's just a jealous, lying, bastard!"

"You stay away from my girl, _punk_, and there'll be no trouble." Sirius seethed as he resumed putting an arm around Lily again.

James blinked, "Why am I stuck with the most insane, psychotic, freaks in the whole school as my friends?"

"Shush James, you know you love us." Lily said innocently, and James groaned loudly at the now over-used line and stuffed his head into the pillows in a failed attempt to escape.

Lily sat up and crawled over next to James, "Don't mind James, he's just being a cranky ass!" She yelled loudly into his ear, then kicked his butt to finalize her point. A strong arm reached out from the mass of pillows and he and pushed her curtly off the bed, and with a shriek she fell onto the floor.

"Oww!" She said, rubbing her butt as she stood up. "That wasn't very nice!" She scolded, knowing even though he was pretending not to, he could hear her exceptionally well. Lily plopped back onto the bed and wrapped James up into a large hug, and cooed, "It's alright Jamsie boy, and it's O.K. to be mad. It's your party and you can cry if you want to."

James groaned again, this time pulling his head out from the pillows and turning to look at Lily, "Do you mind letting me go?"

She just grinned and made herself comfortable, "No."

Remus coughed loudly, and both their heads jerked up at him, they had almost completely forgotten he was there.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your little drama," he smiled knowingly, "but the actual reason we came was to escort you lazy pigs down to the Great Hall and feed you. We're going to be late if you all don't hurry!" He warned.

James, Sirius, and Peter's ears perked up like hungry dogs.

"Alright, you two, get dressed and we'll meet you back down at the Great Hall for lunch." Sirius ordered sternly before lifting himself off the bed, dragging Peter and Remus out of the room, and was no doubt about to sprint down to the Great Hall to lap up whatever food was set before him.

"Bye," Lily dismissed as they shut the door behind them.

They both remained silent before James turned to her and asked sweetly, "Would you please let go of me now?"

"What, am I too clingy for your liking?

"Yeah. Sort of."

"But do you still love me?"

James found one of his arms in the mess of pillows and reached out to ruffle up her hair, "I guess."

Lily smirked and complied to his request, releasing him from her death grip as she stood up. "Happy now?"

"Yes, very."

Lily surveyed the pile of clothing scattered around the room, and stated thoughtfully, "You need to clean your room. After lunch, that's exactly what we're going to do."

James groaned audibly, "Please no! You're so mean."

Lily ignored his stubborn whining and instead bent over and picked up some jeans and a shirt, which were both inside out but perfectly clean. She tossed them over to James, and putting two hands on her hips, said, "There are your clothes, see how nice I am?"

James caught his clothes in mid-air, wanting to make smart-ass remark about what she chose but realized it was his favorite pair of jeans and shirt. She knew him too well. So instead, he pointed out one last thing, "Where's my underwear?"

"Ugh gross, you may have the guts to go through my underwear, but I'm sure as hell not looking through yours." With that final declaration, she went into her room, closing the door behind him and leaving James to laugh at her by himself. James gave up and sighed, it wasn't as fun laughing at people when you were the only one in the room…

"James has to go clean his room." Lily said to some Gryffindor boys, restraining a pouting James by the arm.

James groaned and whined and attempted to wriggle his way out of her tight grip. "Li-ly. Please! Let me go play Quiditch with my friends! Padfoot is going to play, why can't I?"

"Because Sirius, like a good boy, has kept his room clean." Lily explained, talking to him as if she was talking to a stubborn three year old.

James laughed, "You know that's not true!"

Lily gave a slightly disgusted sigh, "I don't have to share a bathroom and have my room linked to that filthy dog, so whatever he does in there is not my problem. However, whatever wreaks in your room drifts into my room, and then the whole God damn Head Dormitory area smells!"

James gave a sigh of defeat and turned to his friends, "Sorry guys, when I'm done cleaning my room I'll come and join you." Lily gave him an approving smile.

The boys grumbled in disappointment, and sulked further down the table to collect more players for a friendly game of Quiditch. James stared after them longingly, giving Lily a sad, exaggerated frown before giving a dramatic sigh.

"Nope, don't even try to make me feel guilty. It's not working." Lily tugged at his arm and pulled the frustrated boy up the stairs and dragged him into the Head Dormitories. The whole way up he made sure to stomp extra hard on the stairs (resulting his foot getting caught on the trick stair) and making sure to inform _all_ the passing portraits that Lily was an un-fair madwoman bent on blowing up Hogwarts and depriving the Wizarding World of Quiditch. Lily just tugged harder.

Once inside his cluttered room and locking the door, she crossed her arms and said strictly, "Now you listen to me. You're not going to leave this room until it sparkles in radiance from being so clean. Do you understand me?"

James sighed, "Yes Lily. But will you at least help me?"

She considered for a moment, "I guess so. Alright, first you put your clothes into two piles, dirty and clean alright? I'll dig through your closet and find the rest of the dirty clothes. Just be glad I'm not having you pay me."

James nodded and began to pile through his clothes, every now and then turning his head wistfully towards the window. Lily was digging through his clothes, tossing everything that was dirty onto James' pile. They worked a few minutes in silence when out of nowhere, Lily began to laugh hysterically. Naturally, James turned his head and asked in an accusing tone, "What?"

Still laughing, Lily simply lifted her hand into view. Dangling off her index finger was a pink lacy bra. If possible, Lily laughed even harder at James reaction. Blood rushed to his cheeks and he dived for the bra, sending a hysterical Lily onto the ground, hiding the bra behind her back, James right next to her.

"Give me that." He said calmly.

Lily grinned, "This is yours? Oh God James, I wouldn't have guessed." She sarcastically eyed his chest and then said in a voice of mock amazement, "No, it's not your size, this can't be yours! Tell me James, who's is it?"

James glared at her, his cheeks still burning.

"Oh come on James! I'm not your little sister; I won't care if you got it on with some girl! Now, that does not mean I want you to tell me in excruciating detail about some wild night of yours," James blushed even more at this, "because I'm sure that's more of a guy to guy thing. But you don't need to act like this," she pointed at his face, "when I find this," she pointed at the bra, "in your closet. And I'm not even going to ask why it was in your closet and not under your bed."

James sighed and reached over her to grab the undergarment, "Just give."

Lily threw the bra on his face, "Fine. Give it back soon though, girls miss their bras when they go missing."

"I'll give it back tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? No James, this needs to be done today." Truth was, James' room didn't smell, Lily was just bored and needed to find some form of entertainment. And we all know, torturing friends is the top form of entertainment available! So of course, Lily found this distraction much more amusing than torturing him into cleaning his room. Lily snatched the bra from his hand and stood up.

"You're horrible." James sighed as she began to walk slowly away towards her room.

"Wait here one second," Lily ordered and ran off into her room. James waited patiently for a moment, when reality hit him: Lily was in her room, alone, unsupervised with Mary's bra, and a very mischievous mind. He sprang up and darted through the door.

With wide eyes, he saw Lily waving off her owl through an open window. She turned around innocently and gave him a sweet smile, "I just mailed it off to her! The sooner the better, after all."

James' mind was blank and he was at a loss for words. Mary would kill him, wherever she was, when an owl arrived dangling her bra from its claws.

"What. The. Hell." James said slowly, trying to resist the temptation to tackle Lily to the ground.

For a moment or two Lily looked hurt, and then she split her frown into wide smirk.

"HA HA! You should have seen the look on your FACE!" She laughed hysterically, pointing a finger at James. Then she reached into pocket and pulled out The Bra (now deserving capital letters). James let out a sigh of relief and snatched the bra from her hand.

"Don't do that!" He warned, but failed of keeping the amusement out of his voice. If Lily hadn't been a girl, she'd make a handy Marauder.

Still smiling she said, "Don't worry. I just sent her a letter you wrote that I found in your closet. Because I'm nice like that. Where did you get those green envelopes anyway? They're really cool looking."

James' heart froze.

"James? What's wrong?" Lily asked slowly.

He tried to say something, anything, but nothing escaped from his petrified mouth.

"Oh shit, what'd I do?" Lily asked quickly.

"It…it was green?"

She nodded her head slowly.

"And it said Mary on it?"

She gave a small nod.

"And you found this in a tall box with a lot of notes and parchments on it?"

"Uh. Yeah."

"Shit."

"What?"

"That's not for her." James said simply.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Remember last year, the Head Girl? Well, her name was Mary too. That's a very obviously fake love letter. Got it from Zonkos. It makes a not-so-flattering poem of whoever you direct it to."

Lily's eyes went wide, and she said in a meek voice, "How will she know it's from you?"

"Seeing as I'm her boyfriend and signed my name on it, it'll be pretty obvious."

"Why'd you sign your name on it!" She exclaimed frantically.

"It wasn't meant to be sent! It was just a joke Remus came up with…" James trailed off.

"Well, at least it's not coming until diner."

"What?" James yelled.

"Umm..well…I sorta told Navy to wait 'till dinner to deliver it…"

James smacked the palm of his hand to his forehead and let out a loud sigh, "So you mean she's going to have a fit in front of everyone?"

"If you want to be negative, yeah." Lily chuckled, putting her hands in her pockets. This is the kind of thing that usually comes with her good intentions.

James let out a long, heavy sigh. He knew if Mary read that poem she'd break up with him, and he really liked her, and was not intending on going through a break up any time soon. So James thought for a few seconds before the obvious conclusion came: the only thing to do was do some serious illegal mail-tampering.

"Sorry James." Lily said sheepishly.

"I just want to smack you sometimes," James told her, a smile playing at his lips.

Lily let out a small meek laugh and extended her arm. "Take a shot."

James looked at her suspiciously. Usually something like this would have a price to pay afterwards.

She grinned, "But I'll whoop your ass later."

James rolled his eyes, grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into his cluttered room. "Now, since you're basically the only one responsible, you're sure as hell going to help me. So what's your plan?" He asked her as he sat on the foot of his bed, Lily following.

"My plan? I don't really have one…" Lily said nervously.

"Yes, your plan. You know, to make sure Mary doesn't dump me because you sent her some prank?" James insisted.

"Why don't you just explain it to her when she gets it. Or give her a nice snog, I'm sure she'll understand- OW! You can't hit girls!" Lily exclaimed, rubbing her forearm.

"Well, you're not really a girl-"

Lily laughed loudly, "We're having this conversation again? I thought I reminded you that even though we are just friends, I _am_ a girl. Meaning I'm allowed to wear dresses and high-heeled shoes and make-up without being a cross-dresser. Get my gender straight." She hit him upside the head, and James glared at her.

"How come you can hit me but I can't hit you?" He asked, giving her a scornful look.

Lily shrugged, "Because girls are so much better than boys."

"Are we really going to have a battle of the sexes right now? What happened to you making up a plan to save my ass? You're trying to dodge it, aren't you?"

"No, you're the one who hit me. If you hadn't hit me in the first place, we wouldn't be talking about this."

"Well if you wouldn't have said anything about me hitting you, you wimp, then we'd already have a plan!"

"If you would stop making excuses and stop talking and let me explain to you my genius plan then we WOULD have a plan!"

"I thought you said you didn't have a plan."

"I came up with one while we were bickering pointlessly. Now listen."

James shut his mouth, and gave her a defiant stare at her instead.

"Thank you." Lily smiled sweetly. "Now, my plan. You invite Mary to sit out our table. She'll say yes."

"How do you know?"

"Because she always complies to whatever request you make. Am I going to have to glue your mouth together?"

"Glue? What's that?"

"Never mind. So she's sitting at our table, mail comes in. You'll be sitting next to her, and I'll be sitting on the other side. Hopefully she'll have some more mail, so while she looks at it all, I'll sneak the letter into my bag and she wont even suspect a thing!" Lily declared proudly.

James was silent for a moment.

"Genius." He said sarcastically.

"What! It's better than anything you've come up with!" She said defensively.

"I haven't come up with anything."

"My point exactly! Now, can you think anything better, since you're so much more superior than I?" Lily asked sarcastically.

James sighed, "Fine, we'll do it your way."

Lily smirked, "Good."

Both were silent for a moment, running dry of any form of conversation. Suddenly, James turned to Lily curiously, "You wear make-up and dresses and high-heeled shoes?"

She laughed, "Not usually."

He raised an eyebrow, "So by 'not usually', does that imply that you do sometimes?"

Shrugging, Lily admitted, "Sometimes. For like parties or all that special events. Or dates."

"You go on dates?" James exclaimed.

"Yes, I do. You know I've had boyfriends before…" She said.

"But I can't imagine seeing you in _girl_ clothes…"

"What are these!?" Lily exclaimed, pointing at her clothes with shock.

"I mean like dresses…and pantyhose…and lacy underwear…" He added the last part with a smirk, and Lily smacked him.

"Oh shut up. You haven't known me long enough to see me in a dress."

"Has Remus seen you in a dress?" He asked curiously.

"Lots of times."

"I haven't known you that long have I?" James repeated.

"No, its weird isn't it?"

"A little. Will you wear a dress on Christmas?" He asked hopefully.

She chuckled, "Possibly. If you guys have some kind of party I'm sort of required to wear one right?"

"Sorta. Why don't you wear dresses casually?" James questioned.

"Because," Lily explained in an exasperated tone, "you can't do anything in them!"

"Mary wears dresses, she still does stuff in them."

"Well, we do different kinds of 'stuff'. Plus, I don't look good in dresses." She added with a huff.

"Nonsense, Lily Flower. I'm sure you look absolutely stunning in a dress."

"Not really. Honestly."

"If you can look absolutely stunning in jeans and a shirt, you'll look stunning in a dress." He complimented, not quite realizing what he had said until it was out. He was telling the truth of course, Lily was very pretty, but he just hoped she wouldn't take It the wrong way.

"Whatever. Point is, I just don't like dresses."

"What about makeup?"

"I'm not fond of make-up, I only wear a little for example some elegant ball and whenever I have some fancy date." She said, ticking them off on her fingers.

"Tell me about your past boyfriends." He then asked randomly.

"….Why?" Lily asked suspiciously.

James shrugged, "We've got 'till dinner, we have got to entertain ourselves somehow. You go through all your list of past boyfriends and I'll go through my list of girlfriends."

Lily laughed, "I'd be here years listening to you, Jamsie. But it'll only take a few minutes for me, so if you are honestly that desperate for entertainment, I'll enlighten you."

"Shoot," he grinned as he leaned back, resting his head in his hands lazily.

She rolled her eyes, "Ok. Well, in the summer between third and fourth year I got my first date."

James gaped at her, "That late?"

"Not everyone had people groveling at their feet James," she said, giving him a slight glare before returning to her list. "His name was Michael, he was a Muggle from Leah's neighborhood. Anyway, we dated for…" she thought for a moment, "About two months or so. Then I broke up with him before I left. Never seen him since."

James winced, "Ouch, that's harsh!"

She shrugged, "I really didn't care for him, to be brutally honest. Then in mid fourth year Max Arlington, remember him? He graduated last year, we were sort of acquaintances afterwards."

Narrowing his eyes, James said, "I never did like him."

"He was alright, we dated for five months-"

"You're kidding!" He exclaimed. James never recalled seeing them holding hands, kissing, or even talking. He admitted that, at the time, he would have been sure to laugh at them.

"No, actually. He was a sweet guy, but I dumped him after overhearing him tell one of his buddies denying we were going out. Didn't want to let people know that Evans was his girlfriend! Asshole…" she muttered dangerously under her breath. She then regained her composition and added in a nicer tone, "Anyway, my lack of popularity hasn't seemed to be that much of a deal to everyone. Of course, its probably me being friends with you," she nudged him in the stomach playfully, "but I'll be blissfully ignorant and just pretend everyone is just now more mature."

James laughed softly at her, and Lily stuck her tongue out at him tauntingly before continuing, "Then there was Billy, that was the summer after fourth year. He's a muggle in my neighborhood, we were good friends in elementary."

James looked confused at the term being used. Elementary?

"Never minds," she waved off the unfamiliar term. "Anyway, the guy was very…clingy. He thought I was Jesus, I swear he worshiped the ground I walked on. It was nice for a while, we dated all summer, but I dumped him the day before I left to school. The poor guy almost cried!" She sighed as she recalled the memory of the blonde-haired boy with big blue eyes that were about to burst in wet tears.

"I never knew you were such a heart-breaker!" James said, retrieving his jaw from the ground.

"Shush, I'm not done." She snapped, causing James to roll his eyes at her attitude. "Then in fifth year I went out with Frank Longbottom-"

"What's with the older men?" James interrupted loudly.

Putting on a smirk, Lily plopped down next to James on the bed. She put a pointing finger to his chest, "You're just jealous."

"So what if I am?" James grinned, a teasing glint in his eye.

Lily shrieked, and darted away just in time, as that look always came before he did something to her. To Lily's aggravation, she was not nearly fast enough for James' quick Quiditch reflexes. James sprung forward, capturing her tightly around the waist and bringing her forward with a plop. She was pinned down, her red, laughing face pressed against the mattress as James stood triumphantly above her. Without losing his asphyxiating grip, he leaned forward onto the bed, his head next to Lily's.

"That wasn't very nice!" Lily scolded softly after a moment of regaining normal breathing, turning her head to face him. He was wearing a small affectionate smile for his best friend, which for reasons unbeknownst to her, made her catch her breath in her throat. She quickly swallowed it and nervously, hoping he didn't notice, added quickly, "Don't you want to hear about the rest of my boyfriends?"

James grinned, sitting up and letting his hands fall from her small waist, "I don't think my little heart can take any more tales of romance between you and your many lovers."

Grateful for the release, she sat up and smoothed down her hair, "I thought I was the one who was supposed to be madly in love with you."

He shook his head and nipped her chin, "That's where you're wrong, Lily love."

Lily looked away casually, secretly her intentions being to not look him straight in the face again in case she might fall short of breath again. The experience wasn't too fun, as it always led her to burning questions that she didn't want answered even more, if possible.

Instead she stood up as she put her hair up into a semi-sloppy bun, "You're so weird." She walked over to a lopsided mirror that was just barley hanging on his wall. She straightened it before observing her handiwork in the mirror.

"It looks fine," James said from his place across the room where he was studying her reflection.

"What? Oh ok." Lily said, giving her bun a quick pat before turning to face James.

"So what now?" He asked with a sigh.

Lily gave him a quizzical look, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you plan on entertaining me or can I go play Quiditch?" He asked irritably, as if Lily was supposed to guess what he was thinking. Of course, she should have known better, all James ever thought about was girls and Quiditch.

Lily rolled her eyes but chuckled none the less, "Well, the stench has magically lifted from your room, so why not." She said with a shrug. James sprung up joyfully and darted towards his wardrobe. He yanked out a perfectly ironed, neat and clean pair of scarlet Gryffindor Quiditch robes. It was about the only orderly piece of clothing in his closet, and of course, probably his favorite robe out of all the numerous ones he owned. He quickly threw it on his back and looked up to see Lily looking at him guiltily.

"What?" He asked, wondering what she could have possibly done wrong next.

"It's not a Gryffindor Quiditch practice, is it?" She asked with worry.

He shook his head, "Nah, but almost everyone I'm playing with is on one of the house teams, so we wear our robes anyway."

James moved towards the door and then stopped, and looked back at her as he was about to pull open the portrait leading outwards, "Wanna come? We could use a girl to kick are ass from time to time."

Lily shook her head and folded in her arms, "Nah, I'm fine. I'll go find Remus and play Wizards Chess with him or something." She approached him, lining up in cue behind him to make her way out of his dormitory. He shrugged and tugged open the portrait, slipping through the now open passage and landing outside with a plop. Lily followed suit, a tad bit more gracefully if you don't mind me saying, and pulled the portrait closed tight behind her.

They silently made their way towards the Common Room, where James enthusiastically recited the password he had made up ("Slytherin Scum!"). Lily and the Fat Lady rolled their eyes as the portrait opened. The seventh years were settled in one of the corners of the Gryffindor Common Room, and the rest of the years scattered around the room. They instinctively made their way towards the corner. Sirius, Remus, Peter, and the rest of the seventh year girls lay around on the couches chatting, and in Sirius' case, using his mouth to do some _other_, more socially intimate things.

James gave Remus a clap on the back as he came up around the back of the chair he was sitting on. Remus gave Lily a welcoming smile, and Sirius showed signs that encouraged the theory that he was blind, deaf, or both. James then respectfully gave a quick nod to each of the ladies, who all flashed him a seductive smile in return. He took no notice however, as he was staring happily at Sirius, who was busy snogging the life out of a sixth year brunette on the couch. James was more than happy, no, simply overjoyed when he was graced with the rare opportunity to interrupt his friends during a snog-session. No, snogging wasn't quite the right word. It was more like shagging with your clothes on, if you wanted to get technical.

Lily grinned wildly and scooted into the same chair Remus was sitting. Sirius, who was as thick as a horse's ass, had still not realized that his best friend was hovering over him with a mischievous smirk. And he called himself a Marauder!

James leaned forward, grabbing Sirius' lopsided collar, and giving it a firm tug. Sirius' head sprung up, his lips quite sore but now quite glad for the oxygen break.

"Oh…oh hey Pr-James!" Sirius panted, and his partner flattened down her wild, brown hair. She was a pretty girl, Lily thought, shame Sirius got to her.

Still holding tight to his collar, James gave a more forceful tug, "Why hello! Having fun?" Sirius opened his mouth to give a smart remark, but soon shut it as James quickly interrupted him, "Lets go play Quiditch!"

Whatever pissed off comment Sirius was about to make was quickly wiped away by the simple word 'Quiditch'. It had the same effect on him as it had on James, Lily noticed. His face lit up and he immediately sprung up on his two feet. If humans had tails, his would we wagging all over the place, hitting people upside the head most probably. No, if humans had tails, Sirius would have already found a way to give himself two, and sooner or later would have to end up amputating them both because of some stupid potion he took gone wrong. Lily smiled at the pleasurable idea.

"I'm guessing you don't want to come Moony?" Sirius turned to his werewolf friend.

He shook his head, "I don't. I think Lils needs my company more than you two. She must have been driven to complete insanity hanging out with you all day!" Remus retorted with a smirk, putting a protective arm around a grinning Lily.

"What about you Pete?" James asked, ignoring Remus' comment.

"Why not? Haven't been on the pitch for a while." He shrugged and stood up, yawning out all the laziness out of him.

"Alright, let's go!" Sirius said, blissfully unaware of the disappointed looking girl who lay forgotten on the couch. Lily couldn't help but pity the pour soul; this obviously must have been her first time kissing the Great Sirius. Ah, how glad Lily was she became friends of the "gods" instead of their one-day flings. It had made the biggest difference in her life!

"See ya," James dismissed, giving Lily and Remus an innocent jab on the arm as he passed.

"Bye," she replied as he walked the opposite way as she, his robe swishing proudly behind his feet.

Lily gave an amused sigh; it was hilarious how James hardly noticed she _was_ of the female gender! Honestly, it seemed as if one day he'd wake up, look at her and realize, "Damn! She's a girl!" Of course, Lily wouldn't be all too thrilled if that happened, because she was absolutely fine with the way he treated her. And since his first friends and probably all his friends until the beginnings of this year were all guys, she accepted that this was how James treated his friends. But despite the rationality of it, Lily couldn't help but find the idea very entertaining.

Sirius hesitated for a moment before leaning down to whisper to Lily, "If Moony here tries to tell you that I turn into a bitch when I transform, don't listen to him! He's just jealous because I'm sexier than he is. And be careful, he's PMSing."

Lily laughed loudly and then clamped a hand over her mouth. Sirius quickly ran away, leaving her alone to deal with a moody werewolf.

"What'd that bitch say?" Remus growled, and Lily failed to suppress her giggles.

"You know what? I think instead of talking about Sirius' gender as a dog and your…mood swings, we should do something safe, like play Wizards Chess." Lily suggested slyly.

Remus huffed, "You're no fun. I'm white!" He claimed eagerly as he sprang up off the couch and ran over to a small table where his Wizards Chess was spread out. Lily chuckled softly and followed him, sitting across from the master of chess. She knew she was going to loose, but chess was fun nonetheless.

Lily hung out with Remus for a few hours until Peter, Sirius, and James came back. Lily scolded them and ordered them to take a shower because, I quote, "I refuse to be in a ten foot radius of mud-drenched pigs." She gave them an approving motherly smile when they came down, hair washed, clean clothes donned. Lily had almost complete forgotten that she had sent Mary that letter until they were getting ready to go down for dinner.

"Ready?" James asked, nudging her in the stomach.

"For what?" Lily asked daftly.

He rolled his eyes, "I thought they made you Head Girl because you were smart!"

Her expression was blank for a few seconds, then, "Oh!"

"Yes, oh. Are you ready?" James repeated.

"Of course." Lily said dismissively, silently cursing her luck.

They arrived at the Great Hall, and while the others went to sit down, James jogged over to Mary. Lily watched nervously from the table. Of course, exactly as predicted, James took a beaming Mary's hand and escorted her over to the Gryffindor table. Lily looked up and saw Mary, and made sure to give her an innocent smile.

"Hello Lily, Peter, Sirius, Remus," Mary greeted, slipping right next to Lily. Lily held back an amused chuckle, Mary could have just simplified that down to 'Hey guys.'

"So how's school coming along?" James asked Mary casually. His eyes kept darting nervously to the open door (where the owls would swoop in.

"Good," Mary went into a full lapse explanation of her day and how she was doing, but Lily found herself zoning out. Minutes later, the rapid sound of wings beating brought her back. Lily sprung up, nervous. Lily tried to remind herself, Mary was harmless, she wouldn't hurt a fly. But, her mind retorted, did that fly tamper with her mail? I think not.

"Oh look! Mail!" Mary said, delighted as an owl swooped down and dropped two envelopes on her mashed potatoes, flying away quickly. She didn't notice. "Let me open this one first." Mary announced. Her hand reached out for the green envelope, and James quickly interfered.

"Here darling, open this one first." He suggested, taking the other envelope and putting it in her hands.

Lily could have clapped, James was such a great actor!

"Oh…ok." Mary shrugged and tore that one open instead.

What Mary declared the letter was Lily never heard. Her hand darted out and snatched the green envelope, and stuffed it into her back pocket. If nobody else had been watching, it would have been successful, the fluid motion being quick and precise.

In fact, you could even go as far to say this was a good plan. Plenty of holes in the plan, yes, but Mary's dwindling observation skills pretty much covered that. There was one thing that Lily and James should have most definitely foreseen. This was Sirius keen skill to say what wasn't supposed to be said.

"Hey Lils, why'd you take Mary's green envelope?" Sirius asked. James spat out his juice, Remus choked on his bread (Lily had informed him about it earlier), Peter looked excited, and Mary turned to Lily.

"Where's my letter?" She asked in a false- sweet voice.

Lily stood frozen in place. Recovering slightly, she shrugged, "I don't know."

"I know you have it." She snapped, surprising everyone.

"No I don't…" Lily shook her head, the look on her face convincing.

"Are you sure?" Mary asked again, almost convinced.

"Yes! Maybe you dropped it." She suggested. Mary was even about to look under the table when Sirius said in a "whisper".

"Uh, Lily, I hate to be the one to tell you otherwise, but the letter is hanging out of your pocket." Sirius pointed out.

Mary's eyes darted to Lily's pocket. Sure enough, there it was, hanging out.

"Give it here," Mary ordered, extending her hand. James was too frightened to say anything.

"No! This is my mail!" Lily retorted loudly.

Sighing, Mary snatched it angrily from her back pocket. "Then why does it say Mary on it?"

"Because that's my nickname!"

"No its not!"

"Yes it is!"

"No its not!"

"Seriously, it is." Lily insisted.

"Really?"

"No its not!" Sirius interjected, and Lily shot him a glare that would have killed him had glares been hexes.

"I think I'll read what my letter says!" She snapped before tearing open the green envelope hastily.

James' head fell straight onto the table, and Lily cringed. Remus looked shocked and Sirius' eyes widened in realization.

Her eyes, growing as she skimmed over it, made her look quite intimidating. Finally, she threw down the letter and stood up, exiting the scene smoothly, leaving a trail of steam behind her. There was silence for a moment before James gave a sigh of despair and did his duty, chased after that girl. Lily glared at Sirius and gave him a large WHACK on the head.

"Stupid!" She yelled at him.

"…Sorry…" He said sheepishly. Lily groaned and rolled her eyes, jamming some mashed potatoes into her mouth. James would be quite mad at her if she caused their break up, and while in her opinion that would be a good thing, she would none the less feel quite guilty about the whole ordeal.

James jogged after Mary, who until now, he'd never seen this mad before. He caught up to her quickly, and was happy to see she wasn't crying her eyes out. That would have been a bad sign. He grabbed at her arm, and she didn't fight at all.

"I hate your stupid friend Lily!" Mary exclaimed suddenly, her voice dripping with hatred.

James was almost shocked for a second. So she wasn't mad at him? It was all Lily? YES!

"W-why?" He asked curiously.

"Isn't it obvious? She's trying to break us up! The only reason she took that forged letter back was because she knew that I'd do something to her!" She said angrily, rolling her eyes.

James wasn't quite sure what to say. Was he supposed to tell her the truth, right down to the bra? Nah, Mary would get pissed about Lily finding her bra or something like that. Or should he just go along with the story and look completely innocent? Well, she'd probably be mad about Lily finding the bra so…

"I don't know, she doesn't fancy me."

Mary let out a shallow laugh, "Ha! Right, I see the way she looks at you, of course she does! You don't like her right?"

"Nothing more than a friend, no." He said, quite dumbstruck. Lily didn't look at him that way, did she? No, of course not. Mary was simply overreacting. "Lily's just a good friend, _you're_ my girlfriend."

"I don't know how you're going to fit both of us in your life, you know. She doesn't like me very much…" Mary said, tilting her head to the side.

James placed a well-timed kiss on her mouth, which she eagerly received. It was almost as if she had been waiting for him to make the first move, and the way she was kissing him was almost like telling him, 'Pick me! Pick me!' She was kissing fiercely, instead of talking about how deeply she despised his friend, she took it out in his lips. It was a win-win situation for both of them.

Mary was now pressed tight against the wall, both almost completely forgetting they were standing in the middle of the hallway until Sirius, as happy to break up snogging as James was with him, pulled at his collar.

James sputtered backwards, both breathless and rather disgruntled by the interruption. James glared at Sirius, which seemed to be happening quite a lot lately. He turned back to Mary.

"Listen babe," Sirius cringed behind James, "I'll see you later or tomorrow"

"Later," Mary smiled, giving him a taunting kiss on the cheek before turning and walking away, knowing she was being looked at but not looking back.

"Babe?" Sirius chortled after she had gone.

"Shut up," James said, punching him good naturedly.

"So, is she mad at you?" He asked, a bit too eagerly.

James shot him a glare, "No. She's mad at Lily, she thinks Lils is trying to break us up." James laughed, "How the hell can she even think about us together?"

Sirius just grinned.

"But yeah, now she hates Lily."

"And you're letting Lily get blamed for this?" Sirius asked.

"Well, it was her fault. Shut up, you weren't even there! In fact, you didn't even know! Double in fact, YOU MESSED UP OUR PLAN!" James finally remembered his best friends' stupidity and hit him over the head.

"Ouch!" Sirius cringed, rubbing his sore head; "Lily and Remus already hit me in the same exact spot!"

"Serves your right!" James accused.

"Blame it all on dear old INNOCENT Sirius! Come on, you liar, the rest are waiting for us. You're being slow." Sirius said, running down the hallway to catch up to the rest of the group, James following reluctantly.

Their footsteps finally dissolved from the empty hallways lined with flickering torches hung on the all. Only the old castle walls saw everything, heard every whisper. For everyone else, truth was going to be hard to find, hard to dig out from the rummage of lies that were soon about to be thrown. Lies, lies, lies, tainting everyone's souls. Of course, with the mess that was unraveling itself, what else was there to do _but_ lie?

Hey guys! I actually really liked this chapter! Or, most of it, I wasn't too sure about the ending. Anyway, next chapter: WINTER BREAK! Yay! This is when the real action starts. Also, I had a major writers block, so I ended up being really random in this chapter, can you tell? Now, to answer all my lovely reviewers! Muffins for EVERYONE!

pale pink roses- thanks J umm…well, this is going to be a long story, I think under fifty chapters, but don't take my word for it! Its just a rough estimate. I'll let you know furthur into the story, I can't be quite sure right now.

Child-of-Scorpio- Aww, thanks! I wasn't too sure about the random question confusion thing, so I'm glad you liked that. Enjoy your muffin!

Ydnas5- Thanks! I worked forever on the description of the ball, so I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for reviewing!

HarryNDracosDarlin- Hehe, any kind of muffin you want! Your reviews always make me feel warm inside, I'm glad you liked the chapter. Thanks for reviewing.

vietgurl0607- Thanks! Sorry I didn't update sooner. And don't worry, the action is getting there, it'll mostly start around winter break and then as soon as they get back to school. I'm thinking they're going to get together around…February maybe?

TigerRose- Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! As for when Lily and James will finally get together, I'm thinking February?

Crimson Girl- AH! I DIDN'T UPDATE SOON ENOUGH! I had a writers block, but whatever, thanks so much for reviewing! I 3 you! I'm glad you like my story enough to threaten me :)

Morning Lily- Thanks! I might put up the other story later, but I just got other ideas for more stories, so right now I'm experimenting. I'll let you guys know though if I do for sure.

lyra hime- Thanks! Um, as for Lily going through slight depression over confusion, it's sorta going to be like that, but the cause is going to be a little different. Thanks for reviewing and thanks for the idea! :)

Flame Of Desire- Thanks! Sorry I didn't update sooner. I will next time!

Triquetra- Heh, you're awesome, I simply love your reviews. Thanks for reviewing! Em. gives you muffin That'd be a cool story, the whole Mary and Lily friendship thing, but It'd be hard to make them friends now, wouldn't it? sigh I hope the build-up IS worth it in the end, because the temptation for me to just get them together already is building! This chapter was reeeallly long, SEVENTEEN WORD PAGES blink hope its not too much. Later!

Also a big thanks to Faceless One, Firewalker32, Manny, and Elspeth Renee!

I 3 you all. This time, if you review, I'll do something _really_ nice!


	21. Coming Back

**Emerald Eyes**

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_Disclaimer: I only own the plot and Leah. Oh yeah! And I don't own Starbucks, although that'd be just as cool as owning JK Rowlings stuff. _

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_Previously_

_Their footsteps finally dissolved from the empty hallways lined with flickering torches hung on the all. Only the old castle walls saw everything, heard every whisper. For everyone else, truth was going to be hard to find, hard to dig out from the rummage of lies that were soon about to be thrown. Lies, lies, lies, tainting everyone's souls. Of course, with the mess that was unraveling itself, what else was there to do but lie?_

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**Chapter Twenty-one: Going Back**

This was the start to a very complicated loath cycle, with a poor boy stuck in the very middle of it. On one side, there was Mary, who constantly threw glares at Lily across the hallways when James was looking the other way, or gave her un-flattering comments when James was on the other side of the room. They were small things, but there were plenty of them. Then there was Lily, who was rather aggravated with her dear friend James for making it seem like she was trying to break them up. Not that she cared what Mary thought about her, but honestly, its like having an annoying four year old constantly poking you with a stick when their parents aren't looking. Obviously, Mary was aware that Lily would be spending Christmas at his house. Mary even threw subtle hints trying to make James change his mind, but he just pretended not to notice. If he leaned towards his girlfriend's side and say something like "Yes, you're right, Lily's a bitch, I wont talk to her ever again.", not only would he be lying but Lily would certainly be pissed. And, if he stuck up for Lily, then Mary would dump him, and he wasn't all to keen on that idea.

The first snow of the season had arrived a week before holiday break, a little later than most years, but welcome none the less. They got two days off of Herbology, since the grounds were too snowy to walk across, and to everyone's disappointment, a Quiditch game had been postponed until after the holiday break ended.

James was simply overjoyed when the winter holidays came around; it was a well-timed excuse to get out of school and all the drama that seemed to be picking on him. The whole train ride home Lily was fidgety, nervous about going over James' house. As she sat there, not quite listening to the Marauder rants about Snivellus' underpants, something else was missing on the train ride home: Leah. Although through the constant exchange of owls, they had decided she would stay a few days for Christmas, it hardly seemed like enough time. At the same time, Lily was dreading the day Leah would come. She hoped James knew how awkward it would be; Leah would be almost frightened to go near him, Sirius, Peter, or Remus. Remus. How would Leah react to him? The possibilities made her shiver.

Finally, they were outside, blissfully ignoring the cold weather or falling snow that was blocked out by all the warm hugs.

"Bye Lily, I'll see you at Prongs'," Remus said, bidding farewell with a tight hug.

"By Remi. Take care, write me and visit often!" Lily grinned, giving him a tight squeeze.

It was snowing, accumulating rapidly on the ground. James, Peter, Remus, Sirius, and Lily stood at the top of the hill, the Hogwarts Express ringing its loud horn in the background .All around them students were scurrying, tightly embracing family members they had been missing over the school year. Owls squeaking, trunks flying, people laughing. It was quite a busy scene.

Lily turned to bid her farewell to Sirius, giving him a tight hug as well, "Have fun in your new flat!" Lily exclaimed. Sirius had been abnormally happy (when I mean abnormally happy, I mean, really, really, really, _really,_ _really_ happy) the past week. It had just been after dinner last night when he announced he was buying himself an apartment in wizarding London.

"Thanks Lils, I promise to keep it clean. You and Jamsie are coming to see it as soon as you two can possibly get your lazy asses over there." He said playfully, and Lily laughed.

Lily turned to Peter, "Bye Peter." She said, and gave him an awkward hug which he somewhat returned.

"Good Bye Lily." He smiled his beady-eyed smile.

"Alright James, have you bided farewell to everyone?" Lily asked the boy who's raven hair was now dotted with white.

"Yep, lets go." James declared, swinging his trunk up.

"Bye!" The two called back to the remaining three, who waved enthusiastically.

Lily followed behind James. Just as they were about to reach the wall, a girl flung herself at him, who staggered backwards slightly before holding the girl.

"I almost missed you!" Mary cried, clinging close to him. Lily cringed.

"I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye to you, hun." He said, kissing her forehead. Lily almost laughed, she knew James _had_ almost forgotten about saying goodbye to Mary.

"Is that all I get?" She asked sweetly, looking up at him with big eyes.

"Of course not," he bent down again and gave her a lingering kiss. "Bye Mary, love you."

"You too Jamsie." She said before pulling away. "Bye!" Mary called breathlessly before walking the other way to her group of Ravenclaw friends, who were all watching them intently.

"Uh, shall we go?" James said awkwardly, once turning to Lily. She just nodded and they both walked through the wall and into the cluttered, noisier railroad station. The two out-of-place wizards were hardly noticed by the rushing Muggles, even though both their owls were yelling dangerously.

"Where do we go?" Lily asked James, who was taller, and who's gaze easily surfed over the heads of the crowd.

"Ah, over there." James said, spotting a large sign that read 'Potter'. It was held up by a man in a fancy suit, very professional and suave looking.

Cutting through the crowd, Lily followed close behind him until they reached the opening of the building, where the man was standing.

"Master Potter," the man greeted, bowing down. Lily looked at James, who seemed undaunted. If somebody ever bowed to her she'd be in total shock! Obviously this is something that was normal to him.

"Mr. Creed," James gave a small bow himself, and the chauffer smiled.

"Who's this lovely lady you have with you?" He asked, giving a flushed Lily an interested look.

"This is my friend, Lily Evans, she'll be staying with us over the holidays." James introduced her, making an obvious emphasis on the word 'friend'.

"Hi Mr. Creed." Lily greeted, extending her right hand, which instead of shaking, Mr. Creed kissed swiftly on the knuckles. She felt her mouth drop unwillingly.

"Pleasure to meet you Miss Evans." He said, then giving a small bow. Lily was confused, was she supposed to curtsy? No, she might fall over…

James grinned and put an arm around her shoulder, "We've got a long drive Lily. Anything you need back at your home?" He asked.

Lily shook her head, "No. Nothing there." She felt a pang of pain when he referred to her 'home'.

However, before she could say anything else, she as whisked away by James, who quickly dragged her out into the snow. A rather small, sleek black limo was parked out in the front of the parking lot, and Lily's jaw dropped for the second time in one minute

"Is that what you guys drive around in?" She gasped.

James nodded, "Yeah. Well, they wont let me drive it, but yeah."

"Damn." Lily said under her breath as Mr. Creed opened the doors for her and James. She climbed in first, her jaw dragging along the black leather interiors.

The inside, like many cars wizards got their hands on, was much more roomier on the inside than it appeared on the outside. There was about four or five rows of what looked like small sofas in the middle of the isle. The row Lily was sitting on was at the very front, right behind the driver's seat. The space between the driver's seat and the first row was divided by a thick black screen. On it, Lily saw what seemed to be a fireplace, but not quite. It looked much more like a TV screen, with swirls of waving colors.

James sat next to the awed girl, as Mr. Creed shut the door to the limo. James laughed at her startled expression.

"What's that?" She asked, pointing at the swirling screen.

"Floo Screen. " James said. "Works instead of a fireplace."

"And I thought you said you've never been in a car before!"

"Well, I've never been in the front seat where I can pull down the windows or listen to the radio, or anything like that. Saftey issues." He groaned.

"I see," Lily nodded and looked around at the rest of the limo, "What are all those cabinets?" She asked, pointing to the ones outlining the room.

"It's sort of like the room of requirement, except in cabinet form. Anything you want you can find in the cabinets. Want a drink?" He offered.

Lily shook her head, "No thanks, maybe later."

"Okay, tell me if you want anything though. Like I said, it's a long ride."

The limo pulled out of the parking lot, and off they went.

"So Lily, I have a question for you." James announced, and she looked up.

"And what would that be?" Lily asked curiously. Deciding the row was big enough, she moved herself into a laying down position, her head resting near where James was sitting.

He looked down at her and said bluntly, "You still haven't told me why you don't like going home."

Lily looked up at his staring face, and felt instantly ashamed. "Wow, you're right." She fidgeted uncomfortably, trying to find a place to start. "Well, my dad's an alcoholic and my mom is dead, as you know. Lets just say things aren't to great back at my house. My mom had auburn hair, so I guess I remind him of her."

"How'd your mum die?" He asked.

"I can't remember exactly how, but I remember it was the loudest fight I ever heard." She said in a small voice, her eyes focused on the swirling colors of the Floo Screen.

"I bet it means nothing, but I'm sorry." He said, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

This time it was undeniable, the immense flutter Lily felt tumbling in her stomach. The feeling was there, now Lily didn't know what to make of it. James seemed not to notice, and Lily wasn't sure whether that was good or bad. The feeling still lingering the pits of her stomach, but she answered calmly.

"It's okay, It was a long time ago. Funny thing is she's one of the most vivid memories I have." Lily put on a melancholy smile, "You should see the pictures we have of her, you could almost mistaken us now."

"Do you have any?" James asked eagerly.

She shook her head, "No, only at the house." James noticed how she called it 'the house' not 'my home' or 'my house'.

"You wanna stop by there? You can give me a tour of your neighborhood. Remus and Leah have told me lots of stories about it." James suggested.

Lily let out a small laugh, "If you really want."

James hit a button on the screen that Lily hadn't seen earlier, and the screen lowered itself, the barrier between the driver and the seats gone.

"Yes Young Master?" Mr. Creed asked, not taking his eyes off the road.

"Can you drop Lily and me off at…at Little Whining? That's a funny name!" James laughed, and Lily couldn't help but laugh with him. She loved his laugh, it was contagious, made everyone around him light up in laughter as well.

Mr. Creed nodded, "I'll pick you up in an hour thirty." And then the screen rose up again.

"We're about ten minutes away, I remember this place," Lily said, looking at the passing houses out of the window. Before she ever went to Hogwarts, Little Whining was the most amazing place on earth to her. She knew every detail, every bump in the road or path in the woods. Now, it was more like the wisp of a memory she couldn't quite catch.

"Will your dad be home?" James asked nervously.

Lily shook her head, "No, he works. His job changes every few months or so, and I haven't bothered to keep track of what he's on now. Quite frankly, I don't care. And Petunia, she's never home. Always with one boyfriend or another." She said it with pure disgust, and James couldn't imagine hating a sibling like that! Lily was lucky she had a sibling period.

"Did you ever get along with your sister?" James asked.

"Once upon a time yes, but at age eight, which was when my dad began to…pick on me, she was, I guess, scared of me. Going into Hogwarts just confirmed the idea." Lily said indifferently.

"That's horrible." James said in a weak voice, he wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to say to her. She didn't look like she needed much comforting, but you never know do you?

Five minutes later they were both standing on a snow-covered street, James' smooth black limo riding away into the mist of snow. Shivering at the cold weather that nipped angrily at her exposed hands, Lily directed James to her house rapidly. James lived in a mansion, lavish and expensive. Lily lived in a smaller house, three stories, pretty normal looking. The houses were spaced tightly together, each with the same design. He could hardly make it out through the falling snow, but James could just barley make out a small building further down the street.

Lily walked up the steps to the house, James following behind.

"Petunia's car isn't here, so I highly doubt she's in there." Lily told James.

Turning the knob, she pushed hard before the door sprung open with a jerk. Lily let out a long sigh and gave James a weak smile as she let him in.

"It's a lot warmer in here." James smiled, taking off his coat.

"Take off your shoes too, that way we don't leave tracks through the house."

James deposited his shoes to the side before looking around. To his right was a small kitchen, quite disorganized. There were old newspapers and fliers tossed carelessly here and there, on the counters and stacked on the tables. Other than that it was generally clean, except for the bulging garbage bag that was mostly made up from empty beer bottles. The refrigerator had a one job offer paper on it, but other than that it's surface was clean, except for the many spots where the paint had chipped from its long wear. It was the same deal with the table; the white paint was dulling and missing in places.

To his left was a small turquoise carpeted room. There was a rather old looking sofa pushed against the wall, with a coffee table right in front of it. The ground beside the sofa was littered with empty cans, and the coffee table had round dark brown coffee stains. Down the hall, there was a sleek mahogany wood door with a dusty window looking into the room inside, and just across from that a short staircase covered with a dirty carpet.

It wasn't horrible, James admitted, but there was a lonely misplacement in the house, as if it was all just wallpaper covering writings on the wall and could be torn off at any second.

James tried to find some words to describe the house, "Um, the house is-"

"This has got to be one of the worst places in the universe!" Lily groaned as she walked into the kitchen, surveying it with distaste before yanking open the refrigerator door.

Not exactly what James had been going for but hey, she said it, not him.

"I'm paranoid that your dad or sister will come home any second." James admitted, accepting some muggle drink Lily handed to him. He looked at it with confusion. What in the name of Merlin was Coca Cola?

"Muggle drink, it's good." Lily said, taking a sip of her own can. "And don't worry, if my dad or sister come home, which they wont, you can just climb out the window. It's easy, I've done it before."

"I don't doubt that." James chuckled. "Care to show me upstairs?"

"It's nothing great, but whatever." Lily hoisted herself up off her chair and sulked to the stairs. James followed her up into the second floor, which was mostly a hallway. There were four doors, James noticed. Lily quickly opened the first door and introduced it at her dad's room. It was a complete mess, and James guessed if it wasn't for his other daughter living in the house, the place would be a pig pen. The second door was a light purple painted room, with a nice mattress and girly yet not babyish bedspread.

"Petunia's room." Lily said in a monotone voice before closing that door with a slam.

The next room was a bathroom, which looked like it hadn't been cleaned properly in months. Finally, the door on the very left led to old dusty stairs. Lily flicked on the light, which was hardly enough to light up the room correctly, and walked up the stairs. As James reached her side she gestured dramatically, "And this is where I sleep." She then took a swig of her soda.

James looked around in shock. There was nothing that suggested that anyone slept here except for a mattress that was leaning against the walls. Was she being sarcastic?

"Very funny, now seriously, show me your room." He pressed, rolling his eyes.

Lily didn't seem hurt or even faltered, just took a casual sip from her cola, "Seriously, this is where I sleep. I wouldn't call it a room, I hardly spend any time in it."

James looked around again. There were some old dusty boxes pressed in the corners of the room, but other than that it was bare. A window stood in front of him, exposing the gray clouds and snowy houses. He looked away and at Lily, who had an unreadable expression on her face.

"Oh. I don't know what to say."

She shrugged, "You don't have to say anything. There's nothing to say, just as long as I don't stay here ever again. Then I _will _have something to say!"

"Has your dad always treated you like this?" James asked with curiosity as Lily made her way back down the stairs.

James shut the door behind him and followed Lily, who paused a moment before saying honestly, "No, it was when I was around eight, when he really began to notice the similarities between my mom and I. Then he would just yell and say horrible stuff, but it was when I got my letter that he confirmed that in his eyes, I'll always be a useless piece of dirt."

They were back on the first floor, Lily leaning on the foot of the stairs. She was staring at him, trying to see what he thought about it all, biting her lip.

"You're not!" James said angrily. He was outraged, he had threatened any slime ball that had ever said anything mean to Lily (excluding all the years before when it had been him). He would have done more, but Lily wouldn't let him. Too bad…

She gave him a sad smile, "I know, but he doesn't. Now, shall we get those albums you wanted to see?" She asked.

"Right."

Lily turned to the wooden door, which looked even more misplaced than any of the other things in the house. Lily tugged at the door, and it finally came open, and she stumbled backwards.

"Dear God, nobody has opened this thing in ages!" Lily exclaimed as she stepped into the room. The back wall was covered, top to bottom, with rows of dusty and forgotten books. There was a clean dark wooden desk placed in the center, with an hollow vase placed to the side, a chair tucked into it tightly. James stepped in, standing next to Lily, and did not know what to make of it. Yes, he did like the room, but not only did it look different from the rest of the house, it _felt_ different. A melancholy dampness hung over the room, as if it was the only evidence that there had been something else here in the house, that here was a story to be heard. It was the evidence that was overlooked by the reader in a tale of hounding mystery and suspense. James could almost picture a woman, resembling Lily but older, stepping into the room, pulling out a book, and sitting down at her desk to read it. It was almost eerie, how the whole room seemed to be holding its breath.

James looked at Lily, and she was looking at it in a longing manner. He followed her gaze, and it fell upon a small side table he had not seen earlier. There were three picture frames; all turned downwards, the glass lying flat against the table. Beneath the table was one large box that was heavily sealed with duct tape. It was the forgotten corner.

Without any words, Lily walked over to the table and lifted up the three frames. The first up-turned frame displayed the picture of a couple, quite young, both kissing and dressed in wedding attire. The red-head was standing on her tiptoes to kiss a well-built, rough looking black haired man. It was the kind of man that you expected would have a huge temper, and the body of a boxer or weightlifter. The next picture was a close up of very pretty one of a woman with auburn hair, her pale face resting on her hand. She as smiling a very delicate smile, and her blue eyes were flashing.

There were four very noticeable differences between the Lily in front of him and the woman in the picture. First, Lily's mother had more wavy hair, and Lily's was a straight as a pin. Second, her mother had more defined ears, which he could see clearly as her hair was tucked behind one of them. Third, their nose was different, as well as the cheekbone structure. But fourth, the most noticeable difference was the sparkling blue eyes the woman had. Lily's were just as magnificent, but in a radiating shade of green.

The third picture was of a small girl with short black shoulder-length hair. She had a long neck and a toothy grin, hands placed on her red dress in front of her. The smaller girl next to her was wearing the same over-exaggerated smile, her auburn hair in pigtails, wearing a matching dress. Lily let out a small laugh when she saw it, and turned over to James.

"Me and Petunia." She explained. "A year before my mum died."

"You guys were cute." James grinned.

"Were? I'm hurt." Lily pouted.

James pinched her cheeks, "You're just _okay _now."

"You're jealous because I'm hotter than you'll ever be!" She retorted playfully, placing her hands on her hips.

"You wish," James mockingly put his hands on his waist as well.

Lily grinned, "Shut up. Now, do you have a bag I can take this stuff in?" She asked more seriously, gesturing to the picture of her mother and the one of Petunia and her as kids.

"You're taking it?" James asked, shocked.

"Of course I am. This is a very nice room and all, but some of these things are coming with me. I'm the only one who ever comes in here, and you don't know how many times my dad has almost thought about burning every single book in here. And plus, I will never, ever, return to this house."

James fished out a pencil from top of the desk and quickly Transfigured it into a large bag. He tossed to her, and she caught it gratefully.

"Thanks." With that, she tossed in the two frames, leaving the one of her parents on their wedding day face down. She then skimmed along the bookshelf until the bag was stuffed with books. After placing a quick reducing charm on it and placing it carefully in her pocket, she reduced the size of the box under the side table and placed that in her pocket as well. Finally, Lily turned to James, who had been watching silently the whole time.

"Lets go." Lily ordered in a stiff voice. James followed obediently, stepping out of the room. With one last look at the lopsided books, half empty bookshelves, she closed the door softly.

Once they were outside the room, James put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze, "You okay?"

"Y-yeah." Lily said, her voice cracking. She gave a quick sniff, willing her tears away.

James wiped away one stray tear from her eye before putting on his shoes and tossing on his coat, Lily doing the same. He pulled open the door for her, and she stepped out, the sudden change of weather shocking her. Once they were both outside, she shut the door; grateful nobody had come home while they had been in there.

"Want to go get a drink?" Lily asked calmly as they made their way across the road, their hands stuffed in the pockets of their coats.

"I would kill for a Butterbeer right about now." James agreed enthusiastically.

She laughed, "Muggles will look at you like you're crazy if you ask for a Butterbeer. We don't have that!"

James looked shocked, "Are you serious? What the hell do you guys drink other than that Coca Cola stuff?"

"More sodas, tea, coffee, beer, water, lemonade, wine, vodka, whisky-"

"Ok, I get it. Where is this place?" He asked.

"Down the street, its really nice in there. Come on, the sooner we get there, the better." Lily grabbed at his arm, and led him towards the building he had seen earlier in the distance. "Starbucks", it read. Where the hell did they get their names?

"They have got the most amazing coffee!" Lily gushed as she pushed open the glass doors, taking off her coat as she stepped into the heated room. James looked around, it was a cool looking place. The air was thick with the smell of coffee, which was rather dazing. Of course, this place would never be as good as The Three Broomsticks, but it was okay for a Muggle attempt.

"This place is even better than The Three Broomsticks!" She added as she sat herself down on a two-person table. James sat down on the other end and froze.

"No its not! Three Broomsticks is better." James objected.

"No way, you should taste their frapuchinos! It's like the nectar of the Gods!"

"It can't ever beat Butterbeer."

"Oh come on, just admit that the Muggles beat your wizarding world at something."

"You're also part of the wizarding world!"

"Yes, but I'm also part of the Muggle world. But Starbucks is just so much better." She insisted.

"Favoritism!"

"Is not!"

"Clearly, it is-"

"Ahem." A waitress stood behind Lily, waiting with an amused smile to take their order.

Lily turned to face the waitress and was met with a shock of delight, "Oh my God! Lily Evans, is that you?"

"Jessie?" Lily sprung to her feet. "I haven't talked to you in forever!"

Jessie gave her a quick hug, "I know! How have you been? How's your boarding school?"

Ah, so it must be a Muggle friend of Lily's.

"Great, how's Paintbranch?"

"It's so great, I'm currently dating Timmy Richter!" The girl said with a squeal.

"Paste eating Timmy Richter?" Lily gasped.

"That was in first grade! Now he's football playing hottie Timmy Richter!"

Lily laughed, "How things change."

Jessie gave a small laugh, "That's right. I'm glad you stopped by, I haven't seen you since last year! Billy still hasn't lost hope. What a pathetic kid, my brother. Ah, speak of the devil. Hey Billy!" Jessie waved over a blonde haired boy with wide blue eyes. He too wore a Starbucks apron. Billy looked up at his twin sister dully and then caught sight of the girl standing next to her. He was there in a flash.

"Lily!" He greeted eagerly, wrapping her up in a one-way hug. Jessie stood watching, rolling her eyes. James was glaring at Billy and Lily wasn't quite sure what to do. "I haven't seen you in a long time…"

When he let her go, Lily said in an awkward voice, "Hi Billy."

Billy…the name wrung a bell in James' mind.

"How've you been?" He asked sweetly, grabbing both her hands. "I've really missed you."

Lily whisker her hands back from his, "I've been good. You?" She asked politely.

"I knew you'd come back." Billy whispered, half to himself, ignoring the question she asked. It was rather scary, the boy had a dazed, love-sick expression glued to his face.

"Erm…" Lily sent a pleading glance at James, who immediately got the hint and remembered Billy as the ex-boyfriend she had filed in the 'clingy' drawer.

James sent him a death glare, he didn't have the right to just…walk up there and…and do what he was doing! Who was he to think he could all…touch Lily's hands and what not…

"So, who's this?" Jessie asked finally, noticing James. She said it with fond tone, as if she was considering whether or not he looked good with his shirt off.

"This is-"

"James Potter, I'm Lily's boyfriend." He lied, standing up and shaking hands with a shocked Billy and a slightly disappointed Jessie. Lily was stunned for a moment before she caught on. God bless James, he was such a great friend!

"Are you really going out with him?" Billy pressed suspiciously.

James slipped an arm around her waist, and Lily added reassuringly, "Of course, we've been going out for two months."

"We went out longer!" Billy snapped.

Jessie kicked Billy conspicuously, who winced but said nothing.

"Will you be around this winter?" Jessie asked, changing the subject.

"No, we're just stopping here before I go over to his house." She said, gesturing towards James, who she was pressed tightly against.

The twins' mouth dropped. "Two months and you're going to his house for Christmas?!"

James shrugged and pulled Lily closer, "What can I say? I love my Lily."

He swooped down and planted a kiss on her slightly parted mouth, which she had not been expecting _in the slightest._

A jumble of thoughts came rushing in and out of her brain moments after he had already left her lips. The first thing Lily realized was how warm and soft his lips were. Then, she was shocked, Lily hadn't expected for James to go _this_ far in the acting! That was a little much, wasn't it? Lily then reminded herself that it was just to help her out, and he was being a good friend. It meant nothing. It had been a completely fake, insignificant, meaningless kiss.

And then Lily realized she had liked it.

"Lils, what do you want?" James asked, nudging her slightly, bringing her back to reality.

"What? Oh, a chocolate chip frappucino would be good." She said coolly to Jessie. She nodded professionally and told them she'd have them in a moment. Minutes later James was sipping at some tea and Lily was gulping down her frappucino.

"Sorry if that shocked you," James whispered to her from across the table. "Part of the whole act, you know."

Lily nodded, "Of course. Thank you so much for pretending to be my boyfriend, Billy would have never gone away!"

"My pleasure." James grinned, and she rolled her eyes.

"I don't think Billy likes you."

"I don't like that bastard either!" James scowled, causing Lily to laugh some more.

"You're so mean! But I don't blame you." She added in a hushed tone

"Is that his sister?" Lily nodded. "She's hot."

Lily smacked him, "James! You have a girlfriend!" she said, referring to Mary.

"Actually, at the moment I have two." He corrected cheekily, and Lily smacked him again.

Looking over her shoulder, she quickly spun her head back. "Billy is looking!" She hissed.

It was Lily who stunned James this time by giving him a quick peck on the lips and then flashing him a fake wide smile. To anybody looking in, like Billy, it would have seemed realistic, you wouldn't have guessed they were whispering apologies to each other.

"Sorry, I didn't know what else to do." Lily whispered, seeing James's surprised expression.

He recovered quickly, "That's okay. It's not like it meant anything, right?" He said, chuckling as if the thought was absurd.

She gave a chuckle of her own, "Exactly."

Truth was, there were about a thousand other options Lily could have chosen to get Billy to stop looking at her like that. But the realization that she had liked it when he gave her that innocent kiss was still with her, and she couldn't help herself. Leah better brace herself for a very large, confusing letter…

Across the room, Billy and Jessie were busy wiping the dirty counter, Billy still staring intently at Lily and her "boyfriend". He paused, and watched as they whispered eagerly to each other, cracking smiles and small secretive laughs. He scowled and wiped the counter even more ferociously.

Billy had been in love Lily since they were fourteen. His heart had broken when she went off to that boarding school of hers, and had tried to spend every waking moment he possibly could with her during the summer. They had even gone out that summer, but Lily had dumped him at the end of the most amazing summer of his life. If only she didn't have to leave to that wretched school of hers, then things would be different, he was sure.

Lily's head whisked around and caught him staring. Almost as if provoking him she leaned down and kissed James, who looked like he had just received a pleasant surprise. Billy growled and looked down at the spotless counter, practically rubbing the counter so hard the paint was bound to chip off.

"Billy Willy, you've been scrubbing the same spot forever." Jessie said, coming up behind him and throwing her cleaning rag onto his head.

He groaned and tore the rag off his head and threw it back at her, "Shut up Jess."

"You know she's off limits, so don't try anything." Jessie warned suddenly, walking up next to him. "He really likes her."

"How do you know?" Billy asked accusingly.

Jessie shrugged, "I'm a girl, I can notice these kind of things."

Lily and James laughed from the nearby table, and Jessie nodded her head in confirmation.

"Yep, he's crazy for her." Jessie said finally, picking up her rag and turning around to walk away.

Billy caught his sister by the tie of the apron, "Are you sure she likes _him_?" He asked hopefully.

Jessie gave her brother a sad smile and looked back at Lily and James sitting at their table, "There's no doubt about it. Sorry, bro."

Billy let his hand drop down to his sides in dismay, letting out a long sigh. Choosing not to torture himself any longer by observing the wretched sight, he followed his twin sister through the double doors and into the kitchen.

God, these butterflies would just _not_ go down!

James smiled that stupid lopsided grin of his, and Lily smiled, pretending to be listening to what he said.

Since when had she felt this…weird around him? It was making her nervous; the back of her mind was screaming at her, 'You dimwit, maybe you like him!'. However, she refused to listen to that part of her conscience, and instead brought back her confusion. She didn't think she could deal with the truth just yet.

"Lily, are you listening?" James asked her accusingly.

Her head shot up and gave him a sheepish smile.

"No-"

She stopped abruptly mid sentence. The figure walking into the café snagged her attention.

"Li-ly!" James whined in annoyance. "W-"

"Shut up!" Lily hissed at him, eyes darting around the room to find a hiding spot.

"What?" He asked.

"My sister."

James' eyes widened before they both sprung up in unison.

They scrambled aimlessly around at first, before James grabbed Lily fiercely by the shoulders and helped her into her coat.

With Lily placed further away from her sister, they walked out of the door casually, James' arm only just skimming the tall black haired woman's as Lily and James tried to escape through the only exit un-detected.

Sadly, the woman found his arm brushing against hers incredibly rude, and opened her mouth to shout something about manners at James, when she caught sight of his companion.

Right outside of the door, Petunia stopped in her tracks. The man walking beside her stopped as well, however, with a confused look on his face. Lily froze in fear, not looking at Petunia but knowing well she was being looked at.

"L-Lily?" The girl stuttered with dislike, a look of pure disgust on her face.

James had an immediate loathing for this woman.

"Petunia," Lily acknowledged with a sigh.

There was silence, where the siblings shared a moment to pass death-glares.

"What are you doing here?" Petunia snapped angrily.

"What do you think?" Her younger sister retorted icily.

"You're not supposed to be here, I thought dad got rid of you!"

"You thought that bastard killed me? Ha!" Lily said with furious amusement in her voice. Gladly their conversation was not over a whisper, so no outsiders could catch a single word.

"No, though I wish he had." Petunia smirked, "I just thought you'd be too scared to come back home."

"Too scared? No, I just have better of things to do than go back to that pig pen."

"I see, then where will you be staying this winter?" Petunia challenged, "Surely not that freak school of yours!"

"Petunia! I'm surprised you even mention my school in front of your boyfriend!" Lily said in a sarcastic voice.

"Actually, Vernon's my fiancé, he already knows about you and your disease. Who's this?" She then asked, taking notice of James.

"James Potter, I'm Lily's boyfriend." James spoke up bitterly. Petunia seemed shocked for a moment.

"How much did the little whore pay _you_?" The dark haired girl let out a cackle.

James grabbed at Lily's arms, restraining her from jumping on her older sister. She put up quite a struggle, but finally gave up under James' tight grip and resorted to just sending her evil glares.

"Come on Lily, let's go now." James suggested, still holding onto her arms. He then added, in a hushed voice that was meant to be heard, "You just wait 'till they get in their car. I know a pretty good jinx that'll send their body parts flying."

Petunia and her boyfriend paled considerably and stood in numb shock as Lily and James stepped smoothly out of the glass doors, triumphant smirks painted across their faces. Once outside, they shared a quick high five before walking to the end of the street, wild smiles on their faces.

Mr. Creed came by minutes later, and the teenagers were both grateful to be in the heated car once again.

"I don't like Petunia, she looks like horse." James said, making a disgusted face.

Lily laughed, "I do agree with you, but keep in mind she's my sister, so we do share some physical traits."

"Nah, you guys look nothing alike. Who'd you get your eyes from?" He asked curiously.

"I don't know, it's always been a mystery. My mom nor any of her family had green eyes, same deal with my dad's." Lily shrugged.

"Do you even have the same father?" James asked uncertainly.

Again she shrugged, "I hope not. I'm leaning towards the thought my mom had an affair with some other guy, but I have nothing to confirm that."

"Well I like your eyes." James said with a grin.

"Thanks." Lily said in a polite manner.

"They're pretty." He added.

"They're also green." Lily pointed out.

"Yes, that too."

Silence followed before Lily spoke up, "Are we there yet?"

"No, brace yourself, we have an hour left."

"Oh." Lily groaned.

"Butterbeer?"

"Yes!" Lily exclaimed, taking the mug of Butterbeer eagerly.

James gulped his down, "You cant deny that this is the best drink on earth."

"It comes close," She admitted with a smirk.

Well, an hour passed, and it seemed like seconds later they were riding up a long lonely paved road.

"Where does this go?" Lily asked curiously, turning away from the window.

"It's our driveway." He said simply.

"This is your DRIVEWAY?" Lily exclaimed. The thing was as big as a freakin highway!

"Yeah, see, we go through that tunnel and my house is on the other side of that mountain." James said, pointing out the white roof of a very large house.

"Damn." She said under her breath.

Everything around them suddenly went dark as they entered the tunnel. It was silent and dim for a few seconds, where Lily held her breath. Judging by James' excited grin, she was preparing herself for something extravagant. As they drove out of the tunnel and once again into the light, Lily had an extremely tough time keeping her jaw from falling into the floor.

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There ya go, eleven pages for you to read! So, how'd you like the whole James posing as her boyfriend to save her butt? Honestly, tell me what you thought about it. Thank you to all my lovely reviewers, you all make my day :) Sorry I didn't update over the weekend, I was away at another camping trip.

Happy October! Ok, now to answer my reviews:

**Faceless One**- Thanks, I tried to make that chapter a little funny :)

**Six83**- Yep, well, this chapter didn't have too much action, but maybe you can tell its starting to get there. Glad you like how I made James' and Lily's friendship. It's incredibly fun to write! Thanks for reviewing!

**J.E.A.R.K.Potter**- Thanks :)

**Katkit**- Yeah, sorry if the last paragraph was confusing, I did it in like two seconds because I needed to sort of close the chapter but I couldn't find a proper place to do it. Thank ya for reviewing.

**BlueShadow616889**- Thank ya!

**reagan-felton**- Alien skittles from plupiter! NICE! Hehe. Thanks for reviewing, I feel special when reviewers threaten me :) I hope I've update soon and haven't evoked any attacks!

**Mia**- Aw, thanks! I'm glad you liked my story, and how long did it take you to read the whole thing!? I'm flattered, thanks!

**Princesstygerlilly**_- _Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm glad you like it, and I'm flattered that you read it all in one morning!

**Crimson Girl**- Yay! I'm still loved. I hope this was a bit sooner. Thank ya for reviewing the chapter!

**And yes I do drink tea**- I love your username penname thing, just thought I'd add. Anyway, thanks for reviewin'! I 3 your reviews, they're so fun to read! I'm glad you liked that chapter, I think it was one of my favorites. And I'm glad you see how I've sort of set out the story for things to happen!

**its a spoon**- I Hope this was soon enough! Thanks for reviewing


	22. Potter Mansion

**Emerald Eyes**

_Discalimer: The usual. Don't own, its all JK's!_

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_Previously_

_Everything around them suddenly went dark as they entered the tunnel. It was silent and dim for a few seconds, where Lily held her breath. Judging by James' excited grin, she was preparing herself for something extravagant. As they drove out of the tunnel and once again into the light, Lily had an extremely tough time keeping her jaw from falling into the floor._

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**Chapter Twenty-Two: Potter Mansion**

The first thing that would cross your mind when you saw the Potter mansion was 'big'. Very, very, very big. The house seemed to go on forever, width and lengthwise. Lily figured it must have been about two Quiditch Pitch's put together, probably more. It sat royally on a hill, standing above the rest of the world like a King on his thrown. The snow collected gracefully at its side, and through the windows you could see fires flickering brightly in each room. The front door must have been as large as the ones back at Hogwarts, but if possible, even more steps leading up in a suspenseful manner towards it. The outside steps were marble, looking permanently spotless. The doors looked as if they were brand new, but judging by the style, Lily guessed it was very old. Windows lined the five stories, and dotted the four towers rising up at either end. There were decorative statues of heavenly angels set up at each towers, and Lily would not have been entirely surprised if they popped out of their still position and fluttered into the sky. The top floor of the mansion was rimmed with a silver railing, as well as the very top of each tower.

"Jesus Christ!" Lily said under her breath, wide-eyed.

"You like it?" James said hopefully. The scene of his home never failed to completely knock him senseless.

"It's...it's...its bloody amazing!" She exclaimed, looking at him with her mouth aghast.

The car slowly came to a stop in front of the stairs. Eagerly, James bounded out the car door, helping Lily out behind him hastily. She got out, still quite dazed, and looked around and up at the mansion.

"I'm surprised you don't have your own Quiditch Pitch!" Lily teased.

"We do."

"Oh," Lily said feebly, now quite convinced the Potters had everything that could possibly be bought.

Suddenly, a small troop of men who looked like soldiers filed down the stairs. Transfixed by this new world James was so used to, she watched as they popped open the trunk of the limo and each gingerly carried away a trunk or an owl up the marble stairs.

Sensing Lily was anxious to go inside, he quickly grabbed her by the hand.

"Come on!" He said eagerly, like a child showing his friend a new marvelous toy.

Too shocked to protest his hand-grabbing, Lily followed wordlessly up the stairs, following the little soldier men.

Once they entered, the doors banged shut behind them. James jumped at the startling sound, but Lily didn't even flinch, she was completely flabbergasted at the magnificent sight before her eyes. A set of long, finely polished wooden stairs wove their way downwards at the right of the room. It spun upwards five stories, making Lily dizzy as she stared up into the swirling vortex. The banisters outside had been a gleaming white, but the ones in here were the same rich wood the stairs were carved from. They lined each floor, giving the illusion of a never-ending image.

It was warm in the large room, and she could see a fire crackling hungrily in the brick fireplace. There was an eccentrically designed carpet covering the floors from their cold draft. A red couch detailed in golden thread stood in front of the fireplace, providing an inviting, comfortable place for anybody to curl up and soak in the fire's warmth. There were more sofas, loveseats, and individual couches scattered around coffee tables with exotic flowers sitting in vases. The walls were plagued with stunning portraits of beautiful women, handsome men, and breath taking landscapes.

There were stone statutes on their own stands depicting lions and swords and family crests all over the room, a whole art display in one room! Some tables had waxy candles, none lit, standing dutifully waiting to be needed. Other tables bore fancy electrical lamps, which Lily knew most wizards didn't use.

The whole place screamed "Gryffindor!" (I mean come on, red and golden couches!). It also had a luxurious warmth you could easily melt and get lost in. It quickly became Lily's favorite room in the entire world, and the house one of her most preferred places on earth.

"Oh my god."

James grinned proudly, "This is home."

"You LIVE here!" Lily exclaimed, knowing how stupid she must sound but not exactly caring.

"Yes, I do..." James looked at his friend strangely.

"You have to understand," Lily said pointedly, turning to face him, "I have grown up not even knowing that there were houses this huge! I have never in my life been bowed to, and nobody has ever kissed my hand. I have never had limos pick me up and I have never had little soldier things pick up my stuff and carry them inside! Never! This world of yours is like completely foreign!" She exclaimed.

"Never?" He asked.

"Never." Lily repeated. "And God, this is only one room. How long will it take us to view your whole freakin house?"

"A long time. Come on, I'll show you your room and we can get started on the grand tour-"

"JAMES!"

His kind offer was interrupted by the joyful scream of her mother seeing her only son for the first time in months. The blonde haired, hazel eyed woman extended her arms and ran down the stairs, plunging at her seventeen year old son and wrapping him up in a hug.

"Hey mum." James said, giving his mother, who he was conspicuously taller than, an affectionate hug and a kiss on the head.

"Oh I'm so glad you're home," she stood on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "look how much you've grown!"

"Mom, I was this tall when I left-"

"Of course not! You just seem to be getting taller by the minute. Next thing you know you'll be taller than me!" She exclaimed, her son towering over her with a confused expression on his face.

"Mum, I'm already taller than-"

"Shush," his mother interrupted, straightening the collar of his shirt, "let me feel like a mother."

Giving a pleased sigh she then turned to Lily, who was standing awkwardly to the side, a shy smile on her face. Mrs. Potter's face lit up with excitement as she rested her eyes on Lily, and a knowing look came into her eyes.

"You must be Lily Evans, the girl James mentions in _all_ his letters. Welcome, we're overjoyed to have you!" Mrs. Potter greeted. Lily smiled and extended a hand, which was quickly ignored as Mrs. Potter gave Lily a motherly hug.

"Thank you for letting me stay, Mrs. Potter." Lily said politely after she let her go, a nervous edge in her voice.

"Oh, this one has manners! But please, don't call me 'Mrs. Potter'. We're all friends here, you can call me Hannah." She beamed.

"Alright Hannah." Lily said with a smile.

"It'll be wonderful to have another girl in the house. The only thing good about having your son out at Hogwarts is that you don't have to clean up his mess! Honestly, I'm sure he keeps his Head dorm at the same disaster state as he does here!"

Lily laughed, "Yep, that's the same James I know. A dirty pig when it comes to keeping things clean." She said with a smirk directed at James, who mocked her immaturely.

Hannah Potter laughed, "Maybe you'll be able to convince him to keep his room clean this winter."

"You know what she does?" James began telling his mother, pointing an accusing finger at her. "She makes me clean my room!"

"That was only once!" Lily defended.

Mrs. Potter laughed, "I'm just surprised he cooperated."

"Well, we didn't exactly finish. Erm...we got...distracted." James said, and Lily smiled widely recalling the day and the pink bra, which by the way, she still needed to give back.

James' mother's eyes lit up with a knowing look and commented slyly, "I see." Lily and James exchanged glances, knowing she had inferred incorrectly.

"No, no, no mum! Not like that! Its-"

"James honey," his mother interrupted, "go bring us some tea, will you? Then we can sit down and talk all you want."

James let out a low growl before turning around and sulking down the corridor to where Lily guessed was the kitchen was. She looked back and with a jolt of sudden nervousness remembered that now James was not here to provide a distraction, and now Hannah Potter could direct her not so all-knowing eye on her.

"Come sit, sweetie." Hannah ushered as she sat gracefully on the sofa. Lily plopped down beside her and gave her a smile.

"You know, you're the first lady-friend James has ever brought home to introduce to us." James' mother announced with a very wide smile.

Oh god...Lily's eyes widened in horror...she did not like where this was going.

"No, ma'am, it's not like that. We're just friends, and that's it. There's nothing at all going on between us." But as Lily said the words calmly and convincingly, she somehow did not believe them herself.

"I'm not saying that you're more than friends, you should just be very honored."

Lily could almost feel a blush rising to her cheeks and she gave her a shy smile.

"Now, do tell me, how's James during school? Ladies have always been attracted to him, does he have a girlfriend?" She finally asked, throwing a disecret glance at the kitchen hallway.

Ah yes, the question any mother would ask.

Lily chuckled, "Yeah he does, and its his first serious girlfriend, they've been dating since summer."

"First serious girlfriend?" His mother gaped.

"Yeah, but he had plenty of...other...girlfriends. But they didn't last too long." Lily admitted wryly.

Mrs. Potter shook her head, "That James. Doesn't know when to stop sometimes." She let out a sigh and then with a smile asked, "So, what's his girlfriend like?"

A thousand adjectives swirled through her mind, none of which she dared to say in front of James' mother.

"Uh...she's a Ravenclaw. Nice hair I suppose. I guess she's pretty." Lily admitted sourly, and it was obvious she didn't like the girl too much. "Her name is Mary, oh, she's Remus' cousin."

"Ah yes!" She lit up at the mention of Remus, "Remus comes by quite often. I've met his parents, so she must be a kind girl."

"She's nice, very lady-like, and impeccable manners." Lily nodded.

"Well, that's good to know." Mrs. Potter beamed, sitting up straighter.

Behind them, James strode in, carrying some tea in his hands. He threw his mother a warning look and handed her the tea, and then gave some to Lily. He sat down next to her an leaned back, letting out a long tired sigh.

"James, you never mentioned a girlfriend in your letters!" His mother immediately scolded.

He rolled his eyes, "Mum, I just forgot."

"How could you forget about your first serious girlfriend?"

"I dunno..."

"You're treating her well, with respect right?"

"Yes mum..."

"No sleeping with her nonsense, right?"

"...Of course mum."

Lily almost choked on her tea in laughter. James threw her a glare and his mother did not notice.

She gave a relieved sigh, "Good."

"When's dad coming home?" James asked, changing the subject quickly.

"In about an hour or so. You two kids can go play, I'll call you when he gets home, and we'll have dinner afterwards."

"I'm giving Lily a tour of the house." He declared as he stood up, Lily following suit.

With a warm smile, she said, "Have fun, don't get distracted."

"We wont." James said offhandedly. "Come on Lils, I need to show you the rooms first."

They had walked, and walked, and walked till her muscles were sore and she could find nothing new to complain on. They were currently trotting up a pair of stairs that were narrow and carved from stone. It seemed ancient, right down to the flickering torches set up around the confined staircase.

"How old is this place?" Lily asked, eying the interiors warily.

"Very, goes back about forever. Don't let the spotless look fool you, this place is _old_."

"Ah."

The winding staircase finally ceased, and James gave a hard push on the door before it swung open, making him stutter forwards slightly.

"I hate that staircase," he muttered as he walked into the room.

Lily followed in nervously, not quite sure what sight she would meet. She gathered, from the prank items and Quiditch posters strung around the room in a poor fashion, James had decorated it.

"Is this your room?" She asked uncertainly, closing the door behind her tightly.

He shook his head as he sat down and toyed with a random object he picked up from his littered desk.

"Nah, sorta like a small common room." James shrugged. "That's the door to the hallway-"

"ANOTHER HALLWAY?"

"-that has a door that leads to my room." He finished, ignoring her outburst.

"Jesus Christ, I don't think I can take anymore doors and hallways!" She cried out.

"You'll just have to cope. Shall I show you to your room?" James asked, giving a mock bow.

"Oh you're such a kind gentleman." She rolled her eyes as she accepted his arm.

"I try." He smirked as he led her to the door and opened it with much greater ease than the previous one.

This hallway looked a little more inviting, it wasn't made out of stone and considerably wider. The decoration, instead of blazing infernos of torches looming on the walls, was instead specked with frames with chatty pictures of James' friends and family.

There were five doors, four on either side and one at the very end. The first door on the right side was opened, and revealed the room Leah would be staying in. It had one double bed with plain floral bedcovers and an elegant drape hanging down from the ceiling, covering the bed majestically. There was a dresser and a mirror, simple yet with all the basic necessities. The next door to the left was Remus' room, which had traces of somebody once living in it. The bed was more personalized with a blue shaded bedcover. Underneath the mirror was also a dresser, with a few assortments of random objects like packs of cards and candy. On the wall was tacked a monthly calendar, with every full moon circled in red ink.

The next room was Sirius', which was located next to Remus'. It was much more roomy, comfortable and alive than the rest she had been introduced to so far. Since Sirius had just moved out, most of the things were gone, but that didn't stop the room from being ransacked with posters of Quiditch teams and playboy bunnies. There were candles, prank items, and combs lying on the dresser and even on the floor.

"It's going to be weird without him here." James said with a sigh.

"I'll keep you sane." Lily said supportively, putting her arm over his shoulder.

"As much as I adore having you here, I can't take your clothes and shampoo or take pictures of you in boxers for blackmail."

"Yeah, please don't."

The next room was hers, which was across from Sirius' and next to Leah's. It was much like Leah's, rather bare and un-personalized. Of course, James gave her permissions to do whatever she wish with the room, whether it was to repaint it completely or draw bunnies on the wall with markers.

The bedspread was red and Lily had to say he made a good job on deciding which room to give her. She entered the room and studied it carefully, opening the empty drawers of the dresser and inspecting the mirror thoroughly. Then she opened the window and gazed out into the snowy night with delight before spinning around.

"I love it!" She exclaimed eagerly, grinning wildly as she hopped back to the doorway where James was leaning.

"Good," he grinned, "now come on, let me show you my room."

Lily followed with high anticipation behind him, grabbing onto his shoulders and waddling behind. He turned the doorknob and then looked back at her and made sluggish movements to open the door. He suddenly flung it open and yelled, "TADA!"

Lily laughed at his actions and peered inside inquisitively.

"Ugh, its so much bigger!" She whined.

"Oh, stop complaining! You got the coolest guest room."

"Its nice." She admitted, looking at the blue walls that had everything from childish drawings to maps and posters. There was a double bed on the far corner, with a bookshelf not too far away filled with a wide variety of books. A large dresser, which was common to all the rooms, was also accompanied by a desk, which was completely cluttered with parchment, quills, and ink. The bedroom had its own fireplace, which Lily was immediately jealous of, and its own couch to curl up on.

"Do you mind if I spend my free time asleep on your sofa?" She asked teasingly as she walked ahead of him and inside, testing the comfort level of everything you could possibly sit on.

"Knock first, you might catch me without a shirt on."

"I've seen you in less," she retorted with a playful wink before striding past him to another door.

"And this?" She asked before he replied to her previous comment.

"Open it and find out." James pushed and Lily did so curiously. The door led to another narrow stone passage that made her shiver as she marched forward. The trip was short, as they were quickly arriving to a landing with a glass sliding door. She could hear James' heavy breathing behind her as the doors squeaked open, blowing a chilling gust of icy wind nipping into the room. Despite the snowy weather, she walked out into the balcony with pure wonder, leaving the first tracks in the snow. Lily clinged onto the silver railings with her bare hands and looked into the dusty gray sky.

The sight was spectacular; she was riding with the clouds, gazing down upon the earth, which seemed like a different world entirely. It was getting darker now, and the wind was picking up, swirling her hair in different directions, billowing wildly. The hills rolled all around her, covered in layers of white blankets, a few barren trees sprouting through doggedly. She could see the twinkling through the windows throughout the mansion, some with mysterious silhouettes passing through and about.

Lily could gaze onto the very ends of the earth, she felt. She looked directly below her, and saw the head of the angle gazing up at the heavens, its wings sprinkled with snow. It was James' cold hands on her back that brought her back jumping to her senses. She whipped around, and suddenly realized that she was standing knee deep in icy snow.

"As much as I know you'd love to stay here, whether its below freezing or not, you'll be no fun if you're an ice-cube. I must insist we go inside."

She gave him a look and then gave a sigh of defeat, "If you're that keen on having me around, I guess I cant let out down. Carry me!" She leaped out of the snow and into his arms, which were not at all ready to carry her weight.

Lily squealed as James just barley caught her. He stubbornly put her down and said as he walked in front of her back into the stairway, "No, you're walking, you lazy ass."

Meeting Mr. Potter was less nerve-wracking than it had been to meet his mother. That was probably because now she felt more familiar to their world, after being introduced. James and his father looked incredibly alike, so there was a sense of familiarity with him. They both were handsome, had hair that wouldn't sit in its place, and glasses. The hazel eyes belonged to his mother, but besides that, James was a living replica of Jeffery Potter.

James had introduced Lily the kitchen and the dining room, which they were now all seated at. It was a small table that could fit at least seven, but it was not their largest. Their formal dining room, which Lily caught a sight of while coming in, could fit at least one hundred!

"So tell me, how's Sirius? I do worry about that boy living off on his own, can he even cook?" Mrs. Potter exclaimed.

"I taught him how to make pancakes once, but he burnt them." Lily added, shrugging as she stuffed more delicious food into her mouth.

"He'll be here for breakfast, trust me." James assured.

"What about Remus and Peter?" His father inquired.

"Coming tomorrow night I suppose." James shrugged.

"Remus is such a darling boy, do you know him Lily?" Mrs. Potter asked conversationally.

"Yes, he's one of my best friends." She nodded.

"How nice! Sirius and Peter too, I suppose?"

"Them as well. And Leah, she's friends with them as well." Lily added.

"Yes, Leah, the friend who's coming over for Christmas? She found herself in some un-fortunate circumstances, didn't she?" Mr. Potter asked.

"Yes," Lily nodded gravely, "I hope its still okay she comes."

"Oh, of course! St. Mungos is an excellent hospital, I've had to stay there many times." Mr. Potter chuckled before continuing, "I'm sure she'll be fine. But I'm aware that this case is both mental and physical, so we'll be extra careful while she's here."

Lily nodded and they silently continued their dinner, which was marvelous and drool-worthy. Mrs. Potter had insisted on a home-cooked meal since they had a guest, and her cooking could easily rival that of the House Elves. They, too, had house-elves, but Mrs. Potter did her fair share in the household work as well.

So far, the Potter family had greeted her with open arms, and though at first it was a bit awkward, it was soon diminished and Lily felt right in place. Although she knew she needed to watch her words, so she didn't trigger any family arguments, Lily still felt rather comfortable asking questions.

"So, Mr. Potter, you're an Auror?" Lily asked curiously.

The aging man broke into a boyish smile, and he truly began to resemble James. "That's right!" He declared proudly.

"Oh, honey, you know you barley do any field work anymore!" His wife teased.

"Yes I do!" He cried defensively.

Lily had a nervous look on her face, the same look you have when you overhear a fight you weren't supposed to hear. James saw this and sent her a glance that said 'Don't worry about it, they do it all the time.' She visibly relaxed and tuned into the playful nags being passed between husband and wife.

"The last thing you did on the field was four years ago!"

"So?" He gave a quick glare at his wife before coughing audibly and turning to Lily with a smile, "Yes, to answer your question, I am an Auror." Hannah Potter rolled her eyes. "Do you think you want to become one when you get out of Hogwarts?"

"Yeah, I think I will. My grades are good enough to do it, as well, it just seems so far away. But the year is almost halfway through isn't it?"

"It went by so fast, my seventh year." Mrs. Potter sighed wistfully. "Don't loose contact with those you really love, it gets hard, but I wish I had. You know, Mr. Potter and I met in Hogwarts." She said, with a loving glance at her husband.

"Ah yes, what a frightful year that was." He teased, and Hannah Potter huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Do you ever keep your mouth shut?" She replied playfully, standing up and picking up her plate.

Jeffery just smirked as Mrs. Potter came and collected everyone's empty plates.

"I don't know how you deal with that son of mine, he takes after his father." Mrs. Potter muttered audibly after she had just fished up Lily's plate.

"Hey!" Both father and son protested audibly. Lily had to giggle, the resemblance was uncanny.

It was night, the sun had set and the stars had resumed their stature in the sky, glowing vibrantly alongside the crescent moon. James had given a small part of the tour, introducing the game room and a few guest rooms to Lily. They had stopped short, much to her regret, but promised to continue early the next day. She would hold James to that promise. Both teenagers were lounging around in James room, being the obvious bigger of the two. This scene was much like one that had taken place about a month earlier, except instead of taking place in a closet, it was on a bed. (A/N: Haha, that's so perverted sounding its too funny to erase.)

"Who's that?" James asked, pointing to a picture of a small girl with red hair and pigtails. She had a little tutu on and was posing for the picture with expressed enthusiasm.

"That's me." Lily replied sheepishly, looking at the picture.

"Aww," James said, pinching her cheeks. "Lily's a little cutie."

She glared at him and he shot back a retarded looking glare, which sent Lily into small giggles, and gave up on her glare. Instead she returned her gaze on the pictures, "That's my second birthday."

"Is that your dad?"

"In the back, yeah. The fat guy with the can in his hand."

"You're such a well-mannered lady." He said, hitting her lightly on the head.

"And you're _such_ a gentleman."

"I know. Does it turn you on?"

"Yeah, it's hot."

"Ok."

There was silence for a moment or two while they closed the album and pulled out the next one.

"Oh, I didn't know I brought this one." Lily said with a cringe.

"What is it?"

"Its this past year, my sister probably put it together. Yeah, that's the pig we saw in the café. What was his name again?" Lily asked, pointing to a smug looking Vernon in a large tuxedo, with the small petite Petunia in a gown at his side, looking deathly serious. Not even a smile escaped her prim lips.

"Veronica?" He offered.

"Verges?"

"Verell?"

"I think it was Vavarin."

"No, it was like...Viaran."

"That sounds about right. Maybe it started with a W." Lily said. 

"Hey you're right. Wiaran?"

"No, it must have been a V." Lily corrected.

"Viaro?"

"Viag."

"Viagra?"

"Nah, that sounds like a girls name. Viagro?"

"Close enough."

"That must be Viagro, her beloved fiancé." Lily said with pure disgust. "She doesn't have good taste in men!"

"I know, Viagro was _looking_ at you."

"....What?" Lily said in a confused voice.

"You know, looking. _Looking_!" James said again.

"Looking? Looking. Oh, like, _looking?_"

"Yes, with that perverted eye! I had trouble containing myself as well. Then we have Billy who was jealous. Damn, how many guys do you have drooling after you?"

"The whole male population is drooling after me." She said arrogantly.

"Ha, you wish."

"You're just jealous."

"Incredibly jealous, because if it was up to me, I'd have the whole male population drooling after me." James said sarcastically.

"Hey, I'm sure _some_ guys drool after you. You can be pretty feminine when you want to."

"Shut up. Now_, I_ really have every girl in school drooling after me."

"Do you see any drool dripping off this chin?" Lily pointed to her chin, "I think not. Therefore you can't say every girl in school is drooling after you."

"Weren't you supposed to be my girlfriend or something?"

"Oh yeah."

"About that, I can't have two girlfriends at once."

"I'm sure you've done it before-"

"-so, I'm dumping you." He interrupted, with a grave look upon his face.

"What?"

"I'm dumping you."

"Damnit!" She cursed loudly and forced a loud sigh. Looking at him seriously, she continued, "Wow. It's going to be hard getting over the..." Lily studied her watch, "nine hours we spent together. I'll never forget them. Speaking about your love-life, I still have Mary's bra."

"Shit."

"And In case you don't remember which Mary I'm talking about, because I'm sure many of Mary's have been graced by your presence, I'm talking about the one you haven't slept with or 'any of that nonsense.'" Lily smirked, quoting James' mother.

He groaned, "Shut the hell up, Lils."

"I wont tell your momma that you've been fooling around with some girl. But let me tell you, _what are you thinking_?" Lily scolded playfully. Ignoring James' groans of protest, she continued, "Sleeping with a girl you've only known for five months? Do I need to go over all the diseases you can get? Honestly." She shook her head. "Well, there's nothing much I can do about it, so let me just warn you." Lily leaned in very close to his glowering face. "Be safe!" She said seriously.

"SHUT. UP." James seethed.

"Since I know you've learned your lesson, I think I'll go to bed. Alone, unlike some people."

Lily reached into her back pocket and pulled out The Bra. She tossed it in the air, and it skillfully landed on the bedpost, looking as if it had been flung into the air after being much too distracted to fold it up and carefully place it where it wouldn't end up in the closet for friends to find. James' eyes were reduced to slits, from increasing his glare after every sentence Lily said and action she did.

Lily gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before saying, on her way out of his room, "Goodnight. Sleep tight. Don't wake me up or I'll bite you." With that she left James to sulk in his anger, which would be gone rather quickly, as soon as he got distracted with something mildly interesting.

As she shut the door behind her, Lily's eyes met a lurking, mysterious figure in the dark of the hallway, approaching up the stairs. Lily retreated for a moment, running her back into the door, her eyes wide. The sillhoette clicked on the lights, and the husky face of no other than her beloved Sirius met her.

Lily gave a sigh of relief, as Sirius grinned and gave her a quick welcoming hug.

"Hey Sirius, nice to see you so late. Why exactly are you here at eleven at night?" Lily inquired.

He shrugged, "Got lonely, because neither you OR James bothered to come visit me." Sirius said with a scowl.

"We got distracted."

Sirius smirked, "I'm sure."

Lily gave a groan of frustration, "URGH! Why does everybody make perverted assumptions like that?"

"Assumptions?" Sirius put on a look of innocence, "We're not making any assumptions. Now, is James decent in there?" He asked, about to open the door.

"NO!" She said for the sake of being stubborn. When Sirius wriggled his eyebrows Lily let out a sound of frustration and turned her heel promptly and ran into her room.

"Perverted men." Lily mumbled as she closed the door with a slam and walked into her boy-germ-free room. After she changed into a large shirt and shorts, which she slept in occasionally, Lily plopped into the feather-soft bed and let out a sigh of satisfaction. Now, this was the kind of room she'd always dreamed of having. Of course, she'd have to do a little re-decorating, but...

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

There were some muffled voices outside her door.

Lily turned over and groaned, it could not have been at least five minutes and they were already interrupting her? She sat up with a huff and threw her legs over the side of a bed.

KNOCK KNOCK-

Before Lily got a chance to lift herself up and sulk over to open the door, Sirius came bursting in, James right behind him. From what she could make out in the dark, James looked rather annoyed and Sirius was in a mix of amusment and excitement.

As James flicked on the light, Lily screeched and covered her eyes, "WHAT'D YOUWAKEMEUPFORYOUBASTARDS!"

"Lily," Sirius taunted as he sat next to her on the bed, but a good distance away as to not feel the wrath of her tiredness. "I knew it!"

"What'd you know?"

"You and James!" He declared.

"What?" She asked groggily.

"I knew you and James had something romantic going on between you. And now I found proof." He looked genuinely proud of himself, and Lily would have felt sorry for him if she had not known what was coming. Yes, mirroring her thoughts, Sirius pulled out a pink lacy bra. Oh why did she not get rid of that bra when she had the chance?

"He was putting his pants on when I came in-"

"See, James, you _do_ have your own male fan club-"

Sirius, too lost in his glory to notice that comment, stood up with conviction, "and I found YOUR BRA in JAMES' room."

Lily stared at him blankly before laughing hysterically. This was not the kind of laughter that wrung the message "Oh, you are SO funny!" This message was more like, "Oh, you are SO dead you insolent bastard!"

Sirius' triumphant smile flickered, especially when Lily stopped laughing. Here it comes...

"Sirius, you idiot! That is _not_ my bra!"

"It's not hers, you can check." James supported.

"How dare you even suspect that James and I...were...like _that_!" She scolded.

"Because we're not." James helped.

Sirius did a double take and looked again at the bra in his hands.

"You're right, much to frilly for you." Sirius nodded, and then turned and opened her top drawer, which of course, was where Lily kept all her underwear. "Or not frilly enough..." he said, eying the undergarments in the drawer.

"SIRIUS!" Lily screeched.

James snickered.

"JAMES!"

"I'm just checking, Lily dearest." Sirius said innocently and then began to thumb through her underwear drawer. "Jesus Lily, I never knew you were such a slut!" He teased.

"Sirius..."

"And plus, another reason why that isn't Lily's, is because that bra wouldn't fit her."

"You're right," Sirius sighed, "Lily's bras are a little bigger-"

"THAT'S IT! "Lily bellowed, pointing her finger out at the door. "Sirius, James, leave now before I kill you both."

"Today has been a day of revelation, Lily. Remember that." Sirius reminded her promptly before marching out of the room dutifully.

Lily grumbled and got back into bed, now absolutely furious with the male species.

James approached with a smirk on his face. In an instant, Lily grabbed his arm and sunk her teeth into them, and just as quickly letting it go.

"HOLY SHIT!" James cried, clutching his arm in pain. "What was _that_ for?" He whined.

"That was for waking me up, I warned you. Goodnight, I hate you." She snapped.

"Goodnight, I love you too!" James rolled his eyes as he walked out of the room, leaving the lights on and door open.

"JAMES! GET YOUR ASS BACK IN HERE AND CLOSE MY FUCKIN DOOR! AND TURN OFF MY GOD DAMN LIGHTS!"

James' head popped back in, "Wow, you really _are_ turning into fine, well-mannered lady. I'm proud."

With that, the lights flicked off and James walked out the door. Although she was certainly pissed off, Lily couldn't help but fall asleep with a ridiculous smile on her face. Oh God, what was she turning into?

* * *

Today's lesson: why computers suck. Ok, I'll blissfully ignore the fact that I'm writing this on a computer. Don't you hate it when the computer breaks down? I do. I really, really, really really do. I had this done a week ago, and you know what? Im so sorry. Honestly. And since some of my reviews were deleted with my computer's constipation..........

Thanks everyone who reviewed! 3

Super thanks to **'And Yes I Drink Tea'**. Who wrote me an essay of a review and reminded me to update. Hehe, you're right, I shouldn't have used the Starbucks thing, but I have to also disagree, Starbucks is so good! I might just think this because it's like the only place with coffee for a million miles around here, but you know, that's okay. Sorry I took forever, and I am honored that you went through all that trouble to read this!

And HAPPY HALLOWEEN to everyone! I'm going to a Green Day concert, so I'm incredibly excited about that. Try not to barf from all the candy!


	23. Third Wheel

**Emerald Eyes**

Disclaimer: Not mine!

* * *

_Previously_

_James' head popped back in, "Wow, you really are turning into fine, well-mannered lady. I'm proud."_

_With that, the lights flicked off and James walked out the door. Although she was certainly pissed off, Lily couldn't help but fall asleep with a ridiculous smile on her face. Oh God, what was she turning into?

* * *

_

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Third Wheel**

"Good morning James."

"She wakes!" James turned around and extended his arms in mock glory. Lily gave a tired smirk before sulking over to the couch he was sitting on.

Her eyes were still blurry from sleep, and Lily was only half aware of where she was, but fell down onto the couch and leaned against James, who she realized, was already dressed.

"What time is it?" She mumbled.

"Ten o'clock, Sirius left about two hours ago, he got tired of waiting."

"What in the name of all that is holy were you doing up at eight in the morning?" Lily exclaimed.

"Welcome to my home, where we get no sleep at all and run hectic, superficial lives."

"Sounds fun. I'm starving, I'm guessing you already ate?" She asked as her stomach gave a loud grumble.

"No, I waited."

"You waited for ME to go EAT? It must be a sing of the apocalypse!"

"Ha ha ha. Now come on, I'm as hungry as hell, and I have to get my food sometime." James ordered, grabbing her arm and pulling her up.

"Wait!" She protested as she stumbled on her clumsy feet. "Let me at least splash some water on my face…I'm hardly awake yet."

"Ok, I'll meet you down there." James turned to leave as Lily panicked and grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't leave me alone in your huge house! I might get lost and never be seen again!"

James sighed. "Go out of the hallway, past this big painting of a tree, then go to the door on it's left, and you're there."

She narrowed her eyes, "Fine, but if I get lost and die, I'm coming to make your life living hell as a ghost."

"Whatever."

Lily turned around and walked over to the bathroom, where she splashed her face with water and then shaking her head wildly, feeling her eyes gradually adjust to the day. With a quick, final stretch, she headed out and decided to go to the kitchen as fast as she could, so she'd meet up with James before he took all the good food. He was known to do that.

She flung open the door to the staircase and fluttered down the cold stairs, then exited into a spectacular hallway that was finely decorated. Of course, there wasn't an inch in the house that WASN'T decorated, but it was magnificent nonetheless. When she finally found the door next to the picture of the waving tree that looked much like the Whomping Willow back at Hogwarts, she entered the door on the left eagerly.

Well, she wasn't quite in the kitchen just yet. Lily found herself standing on the lower side of the formal dining room, the long table at the other end of the high-ceilinged room. She saw James on the other side of the room standing in the doorway, with an expression she couldn't quite read from this far back. Chandeliers which she had not seen in the dark of the night yesterday, when James had given her the tour, were drooping from the ceiling with supreme grace. There was also a little sitting area in front of her, which she had also not seen, made up of a cluster of couches, pertaining to the theme of red and gold.

Lily closed the door behind her and swept here eyes again over the room. Her eyes froze on a group of old men, all in business robes looking a bit agitated at her outburst. Why she had not noticed them earlier, Lily could only blame her lacking senses. There were four or five wrinkled men, all looking at her through their round spectacles or squinting. Despite them looking like artifacts from hundreds of years ago, they had a aristocratic air about them, the way their backs were straight and dignified, and the way one man sat back and crossed his arms to study Lily, as if asking the others, 'I've never seen her before, who might she be?"

Freezing in the doorway, she somehow moved her head to send James a questioning glance. Nervously, Lily gave a weak smile to the men and suddenly realized how crazy she must look. Her hair wasn't brushed, she was wearing lopsided pajamas, and looked completely out of place in the fancy mansion. Her smile dimmed and Lily scurried away like a scared animal into the kitchen where James was standing with an amused look on his face.

As she stepped into the modern kitchen, she adjusted her pajamas and gave James a small glare. "What? They're intimidating. The way they looked at me all funny…" she said with apprehension.

"Yeah, I was going to tell you. That's the press." James grinned as he got out a bowl out for each of them.

"The press? You have press?" Lily exclaimed as she pulled up a chair.

"A good deal of the time. They're mostly here to interview my father about all his work at the Ministry, and same with my mum."

James sat down next to her and poured the cereal before passing it to Lily.

"Ever gotten Witch Weekly to interview your family?"

"Once, they interviewed me." He admitted sheepishly.

"You lucky boy," Lily said sarcastically.

They ate in silence for a few moments, the crunching of the cereal and the clatter of spoons about the only sound. Suddenly James' father burst in the room, looking stressed out, in a dark business robe as well.

"James, have you seen my wand?" He was panting wildly and was turning everything in the kitchen over frantically.

"No! What happened to keeping it with you at all times, huh?" James teased.

"Hush. Oh there it is, thank God!" Mr. Potter picked it off the counter and then turned around to the two kids.

"You two, try and stay out of my way today. The press wants a brief tour of the estate, and I don't want anything to get in the way. This is a very important article that's going to be in one of the biggest magazines of today, so please be on your best behavior. No mud, no streaking, no pranks. Understand?" He lectures briskly.

James and Lily nodded their heads obediently.

"Good, now have fun." Mr. Potter turned and left through the doorway, leaving Lily and James alone again.

"What're we going to do all day if you can't finish your tour?" Lily whined after she heard his footsteps dim.

James shrugged, "Don't worry, we'll find something. Hey, when was the last time you went swimming?"

Lily laughed, "When I was with you."

He grinned at the memory, "Ah, yeah. Well, want to go swimming again, this time in an actual pool?"

"Okay, one problem. I don't have a swimming suit here."

"Well why didn't you bring one?"

"Oh, I don't know, I just usually don't swim during the winter. Oh yeah, which brings up another point. It's FREEZING!"

"That's why we go indoors!" James said obviously. "Now, we'll find you a bathing suit."

Lily considered the thought for a moment, "Okay." She agreed, "Why not. Are you done eating?"

"Yeah, come on." James stood up and pushed the chair in.

Lily abandoned her empty bowl and stood up with him, "What about the bowls?"

"The house elves will clean it up." He answered casually.

"James! No wonder you're so lazy." She scolded.

"Yeah, I know."

Lily stood up and hesitantly eyed the doorway. "Don't tell me we have to pass the geezers again. I'm afraid they'll shoot me down with their evil eyes again."

James laughed, "Nah. There's this passageway…" He approached a long tapestry innocently hung on the wall and moved it to the side. "Top secret emergency rout. Comes in quite handy during non-emergencies."

Behind the door was a small knob, hardly noticeable when the thick cloth was hanging in font of it. There was no outline of a door, but Lily figured it was part of the genius.

Indeed, James turned the knob and pulled at it. Instead of the knob staying hooked into a wall, a door appeared and swung open suddenly, leading to another cold chamber of stairs.

"Anybody watching?" James asked precautiously. When Lily, too anxious to give a verbal reply, shook her head, James clambered into the chamber.

To Lily, seeing James standing there in a stone staircase, seemed so out of context that she felt like she was looking at another painting that was hung on the wall, since the sudden change of atmosphere and scene was almost shocking. Half expecting to bump into the hard wall, Lily took a cautious step forward, and stumbled slightly when her foot, too her amazement, ended up on the other side. Grinning, Lily stepped in all the way with a bewildered look on her face.

"Close the door," James, who was right next to her, whispered.

Shivering, Lily did so, and there was a moment or two where the room was flooded to the brim with swirling blackness.

In unison, flames animated the medieval torches that were placed along the wall. Lily was not aware she had been holding her breath, but finally let a long flow of air out. James gave her a grin, "Don't worry, I've gone through here plenty of times before."

The light was dim and misty, providing just enough it to walk by.

"I love all these secret passages," she whispered back as she, incredibly close behind him, followed James up the first stairs.

"Me too. Walk slowly, some of these steps are a little off." He said cautiously. When Lily tensed up behind him, he said, "You'll be fine."

"Where does this go to?"

"To one of the rooms in the West End."

"Where were we before?"

"East End." He whispered back.

"Why are we going there?"

"Because that's where there's more entertaining stuff."

"Okay."

"Why are we whispering?" James asked, although keeping the hushed tone.

"It seems appropriate. Don't go out of your way to talk loudly, it just doesn't seem right."

The stairs ended seconds later, and now there was just a long, endless tunnel that Lily could hardly even trace back to its end. It did not make any wide or narrow turns, it was just jagged, and Lily guessed it was so it could run through the walls. The passage suddenly got wider, making room for two, even three people to walk side by side. Lily hurried up and walked next to James.

"How far is it?"

"Far. We're crossing the whole mansion in twists and curves. It would have been shorter to walk outside, but not only would we have had to crossed the 'geezers', but I thought you'd like this way better." He gave her a small smile that she could hardly see in the dark.

Her heart fluttered anyway. "Thanks, I do."

She began to notice that there were outlines of doors now, which she guessed lead into other rooms. On some, there were small signs which read the name of the door, tacked up by Spell-O-Tape. Some was James' handwriting while other signs were yellowing and written in a fancy manuscript.

"Do you know where all these doors lead to?" She asked after a moment's silence fell over them.

"Yeah, most of them. There are a few doors that lead to just hallways, which I haven't explored."

"Is this house really that big?" She exclaimed with surprise.

"It runs underground."

"Wow."

Their footsteps echoed through the corridor, and Lily eyed her stone surroundings with suspicion. Whenever she turned to look at James, she felt instantly foolish, seeing him walking confidently and seemed un-nervous by the eerie place. So Lily stood a little straighter and walked a little faster, never wanting to fall an inch behind.

"Right here." He finally indicated, coming up to one of the doors and giving it a firm push. It burst open, spurting out some dust. The two, coughing, made their way out of the dusty doorway and into the sun-lit room. Lily looked around with curiosity, she had been expecting to arrive directly at the pool. The Potters, she realized, made rooms upon rooms for the sake of taking up space. This was one of those rooms that was pretty cool, and came in handy, but wasn't essential. There were lots of closets, and then some booths divided up by silky red cloths that were like fitting rooms. There were a few full-length, sun-glinting mirrors set up around the room, and then desks with small circular mirrors bordered with small pegged lights.

"This is where all the girls get ready for balls, or where you change to go to the pool." James explained.

"Where's the pool?" Lily asked.

"Through that door." James pointed to one of the two doors in the room. "Now, about your bathing suit."

James walked up to one of the ceiling-high wardrobes and opened it. Lily gasped as she saw all the rows of clothes hanging from the very top to the bottom. She had to look straight up to see the highest shelf! Bathing suits, towels, and other beach equipment lined them. Lily, her mouth still ajar, turned to look at James. He looked thoughtful as he tried to pick out which row a bathing suit for hers would be in.

"Third row, the black one right there?" James finally suggested, pointing upwards to one of the bathing suits.

Lily squinted, "I think that'll be fine. Are you sure its my size?"

"Yep. And no, they're not used." He answered, stopping Lily just as she was about to speak.

Her skeptical look broke into a grin, "You're too good."

James smirked arrogantly, but said nothing. Instead he grabbed a long metal rod from the back of the closet and used it to fish the bathing suit from its hanger.

"Tada." James said as he carefully brought it down.

Lily grabbed the swimsuit, and flipped it over, studying both front and back carefully.

"It's a bikini." She finally announced.

"Yeah…"

"Are you sure you want be wearing this?" Lily asked him skeptically.

"What? It really doesn't matter to me…"

"I look repulsive in anything other than jeans!" Lily whined as she followed James like a sick dog over to the dressing rooms.

"I'm sure you don't."

"But I doooo…" She sulked, giving a dramatic sigh.

James rolled his eyes and gave her a funny look, "Just shut up and put it on."

"I look _horrible_."

"No you don't." James said impatiently as he tossed her a towel.

"You're just being nice. Just admit it, I won't mind."

"You look fine, stop thinking your fat."

"I'm not fat, I just don't look good in bikinis."

"I told you, you look g- fine in that!"

"Nah…"

"UGH! Stop it or I'm pushing you in!" James warned. Lily gave a muffled grumble of protest but didn't speak another word. Instead, she followed James through the door, her arm carrying a red towel, into a humid, warm room that smelt strongly of chlorine. It was a large room, with a long pool divided into different sections expanding in all directions.

"I love your house." Lily sighed with pleasure as she dropped her towel on top of James' and waddled over to the edge of the pool where she dipped her feet in cautiously to let her body get a quick taste of the temperature. James came up behind her and gave her a small push. Lily stumbled forwards but didn't fall.

"Hey!"

"What, hurry up and get in. It's nice and warm."

Lily rolled her eyes but didn't stall any further, and sprang forward and underwater, soaking her whole body in the comfort. Underwater, Lily heard James' splash. She broke through the surface, now in six-foot water, and saw him swimming in front of her.

"Wait!" Lily cried before catching up with him. Once she was behind him, she grabbed onto his shoulders to hold him back. Lily then wrapped her legs around his waist, and he dragged her along through the water.

"Giddie up!" Lily cheered, whacking him on his head with her hand.

"Oww!" James cried, flipping around and pushing her off his back, then proceeding to dunk head underwater, cutting off her squeal of surprise. When Lily came up with a surprised grin on her face, she sprung forward and attempted to push him.

Of course, since James was a bit better at fighting than she, he managed to grab her around the wrists before she clawed out his eyes. Although she attempted many times to break free from his grip, she eventually gave up and waited for him to let go of her wrists with an impatient look on her face. However, James just gave her a grin and tightened his grip. Instead of letting her go, James dragged her once again through the water by her wrists.

"Where are you taking me?"

"To the chairs."

"What chairs?" Lily asked curiously.

"When the pool is open and we throw parties, there's a bar over there," he pointed to an empty, bare, pretty boring looking shelf. "And we all sit there." James moved his pointing to the side of the pool, where Lily saw a bunch of blue stools underwater lined after one another.

"Whoa!"

James let go of her hands and Lily flew over to the chairs, plopping herself down on one and spinning around on it. Although it moved a bit more slowly because it was in the water, Lily found it incredibly amusing nonetheless. James laughed and sat on one stool next to her. Eventually, Lily's chair slowed to a stop, and they both sat waving their feet in the water in silence.

"So, you're looking _absolutely_ amazing in that bathing suit." James informed her suddenly.

She squinted her eyes, "What do you want?"

"Nothing! Only to inform you how much I love that suit on you." He insisted, rather falsely.

"Suck up, really, what do you want?"

James gave a sigh of defeat. "Fine, you caught me. I had a question…and I was wondering if you could help me out." He said hesitantly.

"I'll do my best, what is it?" Lily asked, now incredibly interested in James' dilemma.

"I'm not quite sure if you want me to ask you…judging by the circumstances, but I don't know who else to ask!" He cried in defense.

"James, I haven't yelled at you yet, what is it?"

He sighed, "Okay. I was wondering what to get Mary for Christmas."

Lily didn't say anything for a moment. "Well…"

"I SUCK at getting girls presents!"

At first Lily wasn't quite sure if she wanted to help James pick out a present for the girl she despised, but she swallowed her pride and decided to help out a friend.

"Um. Well, I guess there are different levels. See, you can get the girl chocolates, but that's not usually when you're too serious, or if you're acquaintances. Then, if she's a friend, you could get her something you usually get your guy friends. Like pranks or books or normal stuff like that. But, since she's your girlfriend, and since you both insist you're in love with each other," Lily rolled her eyes and James gave a small glare, "then I'd go for jewelry. Getting somebody jewelry doesn't exactly mean you love them, but it means you're really close to them and appreciate them. And James, a helpful hint, don't get her a ring with diamonds on it because that's called an engagement ring."

"Thanks for everything except that sarcastic comment towards the end."

"That's what I'm here for, Jamsie boy."

"Don't call me that."

"I'll call you whatever I want." She insisted stubbornly.

"You wanna say that to my face?" James challenged.

Lily turned her swivel chair to face him, and with her best game face, shouted at him, "I'LL CALL YOU WHATEVER I FREAKIN' WANT, PUNK!" She lunged at him and gave him a shove.

James returned the shove, but just a bit harder, and Lily squealed and fell backwards off her seat with a splash. With her head still surfacing, she began to tread water and yelled again, "Come on, I'll take you on! Right here, right now!"

He shrugged and slid off his seat, landing on his feet with a bit of room to spare before he was underwater. Lily, on the other hand…

"Come on!" She panted, swaggering her fists in an attempt to pull off 'menacing'.

James, surprising laughter, grabbed her by the waist and easily swung her up by his side, like if he was carrying a ridiculously light load of luggage under his arm. She was squirming like crazy, flailing her arms and kicking her legs, attempting to wriggle free.

"Still think you can- SHIT!" James cursed as Lily bit his stomach, the only thing reachable she could bite. Instinctively, his hand flew from around her and Lily was let free.

"HA!" She bragged loudly as she regained a small bit of her composure.

"What's with you and biting?" He asked, removing his hands from his wound.

"You're tasty."

"Am I?" James wriggled his eyebrows.

"Very." Lily winked.

"Am I hot?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Thanks."

"No prob. Am I?"

"Definitely."

"So we're even?"

"I guess so."

They stood in silence for a moment before Lily suddenly asked, "Hey, will you do a belly-flop in the snow for a Galleon?"

She sat, hair drenched but body wrapped in warm sweats, on the edge of the couch drinking hot chocolate in a decorative mug. James sat right next to her, in a warm sweatshirt and pants, gripping onto his hot chocolate for dear life. They were both enjoying the glowing warmth from the fireplace, sitting in silence, blankets wrapped around them both.

"Your mom makes great hot chocolate." Lily finally complimented, speaking in nothing above a whisper.

"Why are you whispering?" James whispered back.

"Because I'm bored."

"So I'm just not interesting enough for you?"

"Basically."

"Oh. In that case, would you like me to give you a tour of the neighborhood?"

"Neighborhood?" Lily repeated. "James, you don't have neighbors because your house is so huge that any neighbors of yours will be sitting in a shadow for the rest of their lives."

"Hey, there are a few houses down a couple miles!"

"Oh sorry, what a neighborhood."

"And then there's a village center a few miles after that."

"A _village_ center?"

"It's like a Hogsmade in one building."

"That's not a village center!"

"Whatever, there's one of those there. If my boring house is not interesting enough for you, then we can escape over there for a few hours."

"It's not your house, it's you!" Lily chided, and then added more seriously, "It sounds fun. You could help me pick out a dress!"

"Exactly what I want to do!"

"Now come my dear, let us run off to don more appropriate clothing." She announced with determination as she courageously rose from the couch. Pulling James up along wit her, she began to drag him to the stairs like a rag doll.

"Weirdo." He muttered.

"This is called a mall." Lily lectured teasingly as they walked, side by side, through the winding passageways through the indoor 'village center'.

"A _mall_?" James repeated with uncertainty. "We learned about that in Muggle Studies!"

"I'm glad you at least learned something there." Lily said with a roll of her eyes.

The mall was obviously placed in a very rich neighborhood, as every few shops formed together to form a little pod, and each pod had their own distinct theme. The food court had a little mechanical train, for example. It was quite creative, and seeing as this was a wizarding 'village center', everything moved.

The roar of chatter circled in the background, and James was looking around with familiarity, while Lily was observing with pure wonder.

"This place is amazing! It's like…like Alice in Wonderland!"

"Like what?"

"Muggle movie…" Lily said half mindedly as they passed a rotating flower that somehow fashioned itself into a bench.

As they approached the food court, a group of girls passed in front of them, and the leader stopped dead in her tracks.

"James!" The voice squealed with familiarity.

"Is that…"

"Mary!" James greeted with a bit of surprise but happiness. Indeed, Mary came running out of the sea of people and into James' arms.

"I've missed you so much!" She said into his shoulders.

Lily gave a disgusted sigh and put her hands to her temples in frustration.

"You too, I'm glad you didn't forget about me." James placed a kiss on her head before…Ah lovely, there was that mushy, long kiss that wouldn't end unless she did something about it.

Lily gave a loud distinct cough, and Mary broke off of James' lips looked at her with dislike.

"I didn't know you were going to be here." Mary said brusquely.

"Well, you are aware that I'm staying at James', aren't you?" Lily said sweetly.

Screw being civil, this girl was asking for it.

"I didn't think you'd follow him around like a love-sick puppy." She scowled.

"Actually, he's the one who invited me, and yet for some reason I don't remember him inviting _you_. How did you know he was going to be here by the way?" Lily asked sarcastically.

Mary kept her glare a few seconds before turning to James, unable to find a suiting response.

"Hun, you don't mind if I tag along for a while, do you?"

"Uh..uhh..I.."

"Great! Where to?" She smiled, pushing Lily to the side and linking arms with him.

What the hell was WRONG with James?

"Wherever you two want to go." James said meekly.

Hey, Lily had to give him effort points, at least he was trying to include her a little bit. But, I guess she couldn't blame him too much, two girls were pretty intimidating when you were the only guy.

"How about we get dresses? I still need to buy mine." Mary suggested eagerly. She seemed to be in a pretty good mood considering that Lily was there, but it also might have been because she was completely ignoring the redhead.

"Sounds good to me, any objections?"

Lily grinned and bore it, and then rolled along with them like the third wheel. They eventually reached a fancy shop that had pencil-thin expensive designer dresses displayed on faceless mannequins. Lily followed in behind the couple and dragged herself over to the shelves. Just as she finished looking through the fist columns of dresses alone, Mary already had about five dresses and was in the dressing rooms trying on the fist one. James was seated rather patiently on a wooden bench in front of the dressing rooms. Lily, seeking her opportunity of a quick, fan girl-free converstion, sat next to him with an irritated huff.

"Sorry," he apologized sheepishly.

"It's okay, just don't drag me along next time if you're going to have her hanging on you twenty-four seven."

"Come on, it's not that bad. You and Mary can be at least civil to each other, right?" He suggested positively.

"I would if she would, but she doesn't care for being civil. Why don't you ask her to be civil to me? I'm the only one who ever has to make an effort." She complained.

"I've asked her before, and she said she'd do her best."

"Her best, right. Then it must be physically impossible for her to smile at me." Lily said sarcastically.

"She smiles at you!"

"She did, back when it was impossible for her to do anything but smile. Then I came along, trying to break her away from her little Jamsie-"

"How do I look?" Mary drawled.

The two looked up as the door of the dressing room swung open, and a Mary with a lot of skin was posing. The dress she had chosen to model was short and red, with a huge, caving in neckline.

"Umm…what's the occasion?" James gulped.

"You look like a whore, try something that at least took a foot of cloth to make." Lily snapped bitterly.

Mary retreated from her seductive pose and growled at Lily before storming into the dressing room again.

"See? You could have been a little nicer!"

"Sorry," she shrugged non-chalantly, "I was making up for all the times she's been horrible to me. And, you have to admit, she looked like a whore."

James said nothing and Lily took that as silent agreement. So she waited with extreme impatience for Mary's next appearance. Hopefully this one would also give Lily another reason to make fun of her…

"Why don't you go try something on?" James asked.

She shrugged, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. Why had she been doing this lately?

"I don't know…"

"Come on, I'll even tell you what I think."

"Wow, what a privilege. That makes me want to try something on." But reluctantly she did so, taking in two dresses into the room.

The first dress she put on she wasn't really all too fond of, it was a dark green but somehow wasn't quite the shade of her eyes. It wasn't horrible, or at least she hoped it wasn't. Lily straightened out the skirt of he dress and turned around to realize that this odd dressing room had no mirror. With a sigh she unlocked the door and stumbled out, passing James and observing herself in the mirror.

It wasn't horrible, it actually looked pretty good on her body. The dress was strapless, which for some reason she wasn't all that happy about, and came down in between her knees and feet. The dark green in fact did capture her eyes, but not the extent she was hoping for. All in all, it was okay, but she hoped that she could do better. Through the glass, she saw James observing her.

Now feeling conscious about her exposed shoulders, she asked nervously, "What do you think?"

"I…I like it. It's nice…it compliments your uh…" he looked her up and down, "eyes."

She couldn't help but laugh, "Alright, thanks. I think I'll try something else on though."

"Okay." He said meekly.

As she threw that one off, on came another one, which she had to admit she liked better. This one was a deep navy blue, almost mistakable for black at a glance. These dark colors suited her unique eye and hair colors quite well, since many colors looked repulsive on her. This dress had skinny straps, and a small 'V' neck line. The fabric fell in a graceful motion, overlapping slightly at the top then flowing downwards. It was elegant yet soft, and she had to admit she was actually excited to show him.

James looked completely bored when Lily came out, and looked up without any enthusiasm. It took him a moment to show any expression, but finally registered and took a big gulp.

"It's…" He started nervously.

"James! Could you help me zip up this zipper?"

Hungry for any excuse not to reply, he sprung up and dashed over to Mary's side, who sent Lily a smirk over her shoulder.

With a sigh of extreme frustration Lily turned her heel abruptly and slammed that door behind her in the dressing room. She quickly took off the dress and put on her normal clothes.

"_Fine," _she thought stubbornly_, "If that's the way he's going to act, then he just won't get to see my dress until Christmas."_

Slamming the door as she exited, she saw James waiting for her with his hands dug deep in his pockets. As she approached him he looked up with a startled expression on his face.

"A-are you done?"

Lily continued walking and gave cold nod in response. He followed after her, and asked, "I didn't get to see it much."

"Well, that's just your problem then." She replied coolly.

"Which one was it?"

"The second one."

"I didn't get to see it that well, shouldn't you show me first? You know, in case it looks horrible."

"Judging by the look on your face, I don't think it was." She taunted with a smirk on her lips.

James was stunned for a moment before replying slowly, "What?"

"Nothing, nothing. Listen, can you give me some money, I'll pay you back in a few years." Although she was acting a bit more normally now, she still had that edge in her voice that made James feel a bit uncomfortable.

"You don't have to." He said as he retrieved his moneybag and tossed it to her. Catching it with one hand, she immediately went up to the cash register. The thin cashier rang up the dress which she hurriedly plaid with his money. The sooner she got out of here the better…

Finally, Lily had her dress ready in a bag and was waiting patiently beside James, who she had hardly said a word to. It was fun making him pay hell for not doing anything about his bitch of a girlfriend, and he well deserved it. Mary finished paying for her dress, which she had liberally modeled to James, and they all headed out of store in silence.

As they walked forward, Lily ahead of the arm-linked couple, Mary suddenly stopped at her tracks.

"James! Let's get our picture taken in the photo booth!" She squealed.

"Sure…" He fished a few sickles out of his picket and followed her in.

Lily, angry and forgotten, lay with her mouth aghast. Fed up beyond belief, Lily flung open the curtain just as a flash went off. James and Mary were both looking at her, completely shocked. Another flash went off and Lily said calmly, "I'll be waiting outside of the mall, when you two are done, come find me."

Although she knew it was freezing outside and that James would be quick to come get her, she exited the mall anyway and leaned against the wall patiently. The waiting was worth it when James' guilty eyes would see her frustrated frown. The snow was falling gracefully, lulling her senses slightly. It was indeed not to long before James came running out of the mall, looking nervous and stressed. He ran over to her and grabbed her shoulder, making her jump ten feet in the air. Lily whirled around and practically hit him in surprise.

"Shit, you scared me." Lily panted.

"Lils, I'm sorry."

Oh right, she was mad at him.

"You said that earlier, but then you go ahead and LEAVE me! I don't want to be part of your snogfest, but at least acknowledge my presence!" Lily snapped.

"Sorry…" he said sheepishly.

"And you should know that I don't get along with your girlfriend, and whenever she tags along somebody is going to be the third wheel. Namely, me." She continued.

James looked ashamed, and Lily's heart almost melted in sympathy. Almost.

"It's really annoying!" Lily exclaimed, running out of arguments but plenty of venting energy left.

"I know."

She gave a sigh of defeat, "Stop that puppy frown of yours, it's making me sick."

"Sorry Lilers, I'll be nicer next time." He gave her a hug of apology, which Lily was ashamed to say she thoroughly enjoyed.

As they began to walk down the steps towards the car, James added, "Oh, I hope you don't mind, Mary's eating dinner with us tonight."

Lily stopped in her tracks and gave a groan of frustration, "God, were you LISTENING to a word I said?" She then began to walk quick paced through the parking lot, James hot at her heels in protest.

"Come on, Lily! Of course I was listening but it's not like I'm going to avoid her."

Ignoring him, she sped up a little faster.

"I'm not listening!" She cried back with extreme maturity.

"Lily-"

"NOT LISTENING!"

"LILY!"

With a thud, she landed on the frozen water that had disguised itself in random spots on the road. God, amazing how small things snuck up on her like this and completely ruined her day.

"SHIT!" She groaned, partly from the luck today was bringing, but mostly because her ankle hurt like hell.

James came up behind her, "Are you okay?"

"I'm perfectly fine." She said forcibly, and struggled to her feet. Just as she looked pretty much recollected, she took a step forward and landed one the ground once again in pain as her ankle gave away.

"Ugh!" She groaned with frustration, hitting the cold ground with fists of impatience, "Today has just not been my day."

James walked up to her, lifting her up from under her arms and supported her by slinging one of her arms around his shoulders. Lily didn't protest, clearly seeing that if she refused his help then her foot would probably fall off in agony.

"How badly does your foot hurt?" He asked her as she limped beside him, gripping onto his shirt for dear life.

"A lot," she said meekly.

"I would fix it up, but I might accidentally make you grow an extra foot. We should probably wait until we get home."

His voice was sincere and sweet, and it made Lily feel horrible for being so snappy to him. So she let herself be aided to the car, now instead of seeking revenge just grateful to have such a wonderful friend.

"Sorry I was so snappy." Lily finally apologized with shame as they approached the car.

At first James said nothing and opened the car door, lifting Lily carefully into it and closing it for her. After he came around the other side, he sat himself next to her and gave her a forgiving smile, "I deserved it. I'll invite the guys too, okay? That way you wont feel left out."

The chauffer, who had been waiting in the car for them this whole time, started the car and began to pull out of the mall parking lot.

"Thanks." Lily smiled and leaned her head onto his lap, closing her eyes and letting out a long sigh. "I'm tired."

"Sleep."

"I'd just have to wake up a moment later."

"We'll go the long way."

With a small grin of love and appreciation, she mumbled, "I'll just rest my eyes."

"Okay."

But the subtle roar of the car and the graceful scenery outside calmed her breathing, and she fell into a quick, light sensation between sleep and just resting. The whole time, James daringly rested his eyes upon her features. They were extremely delicate, the way her freckles danced on the bridge of her nose, and the fine shape of her lips. Lily was beautiful, he noticed for the first time. The moment she had walked out of that dressing room, although he hardly got to even see her, he was struck with an unexplainable attack of nervousness. James had not a clue what it was, but whatever it was, was still here.

James studied her for a moment like a completely new species, his eyes tracing her face, then down to her…

He gulped and looked away with guilt. With one more sneak peak back at Lily, he suddenly realized with surprise, _"Damn! Lily's a _girl_!"_

She was a girl. Lily liked boys. She had…like…a body.

Of course, James had been quite aware of these facts before, but now they had been somehow twisted and it was like completely new information that had a much different meaning. But what was their meaning?

They pulled up into the gigantic driveway of the Potter's, and James gently shook the girl awake.

"We're here." He said quietly.

Lily's eyes fluttered open, but she showed no attempt to move. Instead, she waited until they had come into a complete stop before lifting her head from his lap. Her hair was slightly ruffled and it, for some reason, made James smile a bit. Lily smiled back with tired, glazing eyes.

"You okay?" She asked, seeing James puzzled face.

Quickly putting a convincing smile on his face, he said, "Fine."

Lily gave him a soft hug, which they both knew was needed but not why. It was a bit surprising to Lily, she felt like she wanted to have him right there close to her for the rest of her life, that if James was with her, then everything else was perfectly in balance. James felt perfectly comfortable where he was, but remembered Mary and quickly broke away from Lily.

"Come on, let's go up." He said in a glum voice.

Rather embarrassed, Lily cleared her throat and gave a slight nod, "Yeah. Can you help me?"

"What?"

"My ankle, remember?"

"Oh, right." With one swift moment he had her lifted up in one arm, closing the door with the other, and finally putting her down fragily on the snow. Wrapping the coat tighter around her shoulders, she gratefully accepted James' assistance up towards the house. Despite the way her arms were around James' shoulders and the way he was holding onto her with protecting hands, there was a tinge of awkward reality that hung between their silence, acknowledged completely but not accepted. They had both felt it, they both knew it was there, how long would it take them to take it in? With two complex, stubborn minds, I'm going for quite a while.

* * *

I know I know I suck for never updating! I don't want to get anybody's hopes up for constant updating, because I've found it really hard to get computer time this whole month. I can't update tuesdays or wednesdays, I have a HUGE science project and reading project going on at the same time, so at the moment everything is hectic. But believe me, when possible, I do sit down and write as much as possible. I'm done making excuses now...

So, I didn't really like this chapter all that much. I don't like the ending, but I really needed to end it so I'm just going with that. Now that James is starting to feel something for Lily, what will happen next? gasp Next chapter, Leah's arival and getting ready for Christmas! Yay!

Thank you to all my reviewers! I'm sorry I can't update more often, I would if I could. But every time I got a review, I'd find a homework to put off and wrote a bit. Again, sorry to everyone who reads this that I haven't been able to update!


	24. She Lives!

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: Yipeee! JK, the queen of all everything, set the due date for the sixth book. I can't wait! My goal is to get this story done by the time the book is due. Don't fret, I will. Oh right, disclaimer. I don't own JK's stuff…yadayadaya. Amen._

_

* * *

Previously: _

"Oh, right." With one swift moment he had her lifted up in one arm, closing the door with the other, and finally putting her down fragily on the snow. Wrapping the coat tighter around her shoulders, she gratefully accepted James' assistance up towards the house. Despite the way her arms were around James' shoulders and the way he was holding onto her with protecting hands, there was a tinge of awkward reality that hung between their silence, acknowledged completely but not accepted. They had both felt it, they both knew it was there, how long would it take them to take it in? With two complex, stubborn minds, I'm going for quite a while.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four: She Lives!**

"Wake up James, hurry!"

A distant voice shook him awake without hesitation. He groaned and turned over on his side, covering his head with his pillow.

"Stop it James, or I'm getting Sirius to wake you up!"

Even though his mind was still half asleep, he knew all too well what that meant. So he let the pillow fall away and turned up to see a blurry face looking down on him eagerly. James fumbled for his glasses before putting them on, and saw Lily, dressed and showered, waiting by his bedside. In the doorway was Sirius and Remus, waiting for him as well.

"What's this?" He asked groggily.

"Leah's coming to day, dummy!" Lily squealed with delight. "The doctors say she's made rapid improvement, and thankfully she wasn't a horrible case."

James knew all this, his parents had told him and Lily had been repeating it endlessly for the past few days. But he let her ramble onward in her excitement.

"She's coming in an hour, and you're not even dressed." Sirius scolded, and James sighed and swung his feet over the bed.

"I'm going, I'm going." Stretching, he walked past his friends and stumbled into the bathroom. Poking his head out, he informed them, "I'll be out soon."

He wasn't, and Lily had to drag him downstairs, his hair not combed ("You comb your hair?") and shirt half on. But eventually he was there, sitting next to Lily and Sirius, waiting with impatience from the arrival of their long-gone friend. Lily was holding Remus' hand with anxiety, and you could tell by his eyes that Remus was feeling the same haunting emotion. Last time Lily had talked to Leah, she had said that she would be able to at least touch her friends.

The Potters were edgy as well, they had taken a day off from work to welcome Leah and make sure that she was situated, but did not know how to do it without alerting her. Minutes passed in tense silence where each person replayed the worst thing that could happen in their minds, hoping that in comparison it would make what was about to occur seem better. To give them some space, they had settled in the kitchen, away from the main door and away from the waiting four.

A single knock was heard at the door.

Simultaneously, everybody jumped in their seats, their hearts leaping into commotion, their limbs shaking with nervousness.

Nobody made a move to answer the door, all looking at each other to see who was brave enough to see Leah first. Lily volunteered herself and rose quietly, walking slowly to the main doors, her hands sweaty as she gripped the knob tightly with her hands. The doors squeaked open, and a gust of chilly wind swarmed inside. With it, man carrying two suitcases arrived and gave her a curt nod as he walked inside, placing the suitcases near the edge of the door before galloping away. Lily peered outside into the snowy oblivion, and all she could make out was a black car and two people. Their features were blurry in the sea of white, and only the red and black coat stood out in contrast.

Remus, James, and Sirius were now waiting by the suitcases, all curiously looking outside. As the two figures came closer, the harder they began to shiver, from the anxiousness and from the snow blowing inside.

You could see Leah now, arriving up the stairs; red coat wrapped around her tightly and brown hair free and dangling. She looked up and gave a wave, speeding up, leaving her guardian to walk up alone. As she jumped into the house, everything seemed perfectly normal, Leah looked lively and awake, Lily was giving her a big hug, it seemed like nothing had changed in all this time they had been apart. But then she spotted the boys, and her courage conspicuously dimmed. Her hands got clammy and she began to shiver. The doors were shut now, and the doctor was waiting unnoticed to the side as Leah slowly removed her coat slowly, which Lily took silently.

Remus waited patiently, with the best smile he could muster, standing to James' side. He saw Leah's eyes dim, saw her almost shiver in the warmth of the house and the sanctuary of her long sleeves. A nervous feeling arose in his stomach once again, not knowing what he was supposed to do, not knowing what to expect from the girl he was still in love with, not knowing if she'd leave without touching him once. He couldn't bare that thought.

After an encouraging wink from Lily, Leah courageously moved forward to the boys, giving them her best smile.

"I've missed you guys like crazy. The only company I had was nutcases and people who were in too much shock to speak." She said biting her lip as she approached Sirius, who was first in line.

For a second, she didn't move, just stood in front of Sirius, who did not flinch under her heavy gaze. The flicker of doubt was overshadowed by the knowledge that Sirius was potentially harmless, he was as sweet as a puppy under that macho act. So Leah gave him an approving smile, and Sirius breathed a sigh of relief as Leah gave him a hug. It was light and barley there, not full of the bone-breaking energy she used to deliver in her hugs. It was almost timid and scared. But they all knew that it was a huge accomplishment, and that alone was enough for Sirius to be elated the rest of the day.

"You'll be fine." He whispered to her.

She moved onto James, and it was much easier to hug him, knowing that if Sirius did nothing to her, James wouldn't either. It was possible of course…but he wouldn't. Right? Right, she confirmed as she gave him the same kind of empty hug.

Then it got harder, much harder, as she approached Remus. That lovely hair she always ran her hands through, those beautiful eyes, that empathetic smile, she had missed Remus more than she thought. Her heart was screaming to kiss him, hug him, stay tightly next to him for the rest of her life but her mind warned her not to, not just yet. Thousands of worst-case-scenarios ran through her mind, thousands of things she knew he was capable of doing, thousands of things they had _done_ that were then so romantic but made her scared out of her mind at present time. But the laughs they had shared, the feeling she still got when she saw him, the countless pleasing memories she had of him begged her to touch Remus.

Leah reached for his hand, which he let her take without protest. She studied it carefully, turned it over, feeling his warmth, and entwining his fingers with hers. Leah reached out, his fingers still with hers, and touched his gentle face with affection. Then taking his other hand in hers, she leaned forward and gave him the best hug she could muster. At first Leah tensed as she felt Remus lower his head on hers, but relaxed when he made no other sudden moves.

"I'm sorry," She mumbled in his ear. He as being so good to her, and this is all she could give him…

"Don't be."

God, she loved him.

"I love you," Leah offered.

"I love you too," he said back.

If she could, she would stay here forever, but she suddenly felt the staring eyes on her back and she became aware of how close she was to him. Leah was guiltily thankful for the separation of her skin on his, no matter how thin the cloth of her shirt was, it provided a shield. This inward battle raging in her mind was not over, no matter how much she hoped for it to be.

Leah removed herself from his arms and saw with pleasure a sincere smile on his face. Looking around to Sirius's, Remus's, James's, and Lily's wide grins, she smiled back sheepishly.

"It feels so good to see you guys again." She sighed with pleasure.

A not so subtle cough from the sidelines made them turn to acknowledge Leah's doctor, who was standing with a grin on his face.

"Oh yes, this is my doctor, Fredy-"

"Leah, I have to keep the small bit of dignity that I have. It's Dr. Rodgers, glad to finally meet you all. And, ah, hello there Lily, glad we could meet again," He said politely as he shook everyone's hands. "I trust Leah will be fine here, you know the number if there is any trouble at all. I'll be here to pick you up a few days after Christmas, Leah, good luck."

He gave Leah a quick hug before waving to everyone and disappearing through the door. It was silent for a few moments before the new guest spoke up.

"Your house is amazing James!" Leah complimented, looking around her in the same awe that Lily expressed when she first arrived in the house.

"Why thank you. Would you like to sit on the couches?"

"They looked comfortably over-stuffed, of course."

They all squished into the couch, Leah on the very end next to Lily.

"I've missed you like crazy, being the only girl for months is no pleasure cruise." Lily said with a smirk at the boys, who all gave her mocking faces.

"Good job Lils, you deserve a gold sticker." Leah said, sticking a pretend sticker on Lily's shirt.

"You too," Lily did the same to Leah.

"And I don't get a golden sticker?" Sirius whined.

The girls turned to him, "Sure Sirius, you can have a golden sticker too." Leah leaned over to the other side of the couch and stuck one on his chest.

"What about me?" James asked.

"No, you don't get one." Lily snapped before Leah could reply.

"Fine, Remus and I are too cool for stickers anyway."

"What're you talking about? I want an invisible sticker!" Remus corrected, and received one from Lily.

"Alright, now that everyone who's anyone has a sticker, who wants to go show Leah to her room?"

"Hey!" James protested. "This is my house, I get an invisible sticker if I want one."

"Well, that's too bad." Lily retorted.

"Too bad? If I were you, I'd watch your words. I'm boss around here, missy, so what I say goes." James growled and pretended to lunge in and attack her with masses of tickles. The flirting was shameless, everyone else almost rolled their eyes.

"S-T-O-P- AHH!" Lily screamed and sprang up from the couch. She ran out of the room with amazing speed, trying desperately to escape the tickling. James followed after her, and in a trail of screams, ran out of the scene.

The remaining three now easily fit into the couch, and scooched down a bit.

"What's going on with them?" Leah whispered.

"I think they have a little something-something." Sirius said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Leah, remembering the plenty of odd-feeling confessions from Lily, grinned. "Yes, I think so too. Is our try-and-get-them-a-little-closer-plan reenacted?"

"Of course. We'll take on James, you take on Lily." Remus suggested.

"Deal, now where are those two?"

A loud crash and a fit of laughs was heard before Lily and James came running in together, their faces giddy with mischief.

"We didn't do it." Lily yelled at her friends with a laugh in her voice as she crossed their path and ran up the stairs.

"Come on!" James rushed as he too zoomed by.

"I suggest we go, James's mum hates when he runs into valuables." Remus muttered and they all stood up slowly.

Loud footsteps that belonged to James' mother were heard in the hallway. "JAMES!" She screeched.

James and Lily squealed and ran faster, and Remus, Sirius, and Leah jumped and darted up the stairs.

They successfully avoided the angry mother, but were cornered when she showed up at James' door. James had gotten a lecture on how not to run in the house because the valuables were actually valuable, and that the vase he broke was simply irreplaceable! Lily had stayed guiltily to the side while James got the blame, but James just said monotonously, "Yes Mum." It was over with quickly, and minutes later they were entertained with James's mattress, that seemed to have a high 'bounce efficiency'.

The rest of the day went by with awkward moments with Leah, but for the most part definitely enjoyable. Dinner was home-cooked and they all ate in the small kitchen, which delighted James' mother to no end. Then they lounged some more, goofing around together for the first time since October. And by the end of the day, Leah had gotten enough courage to kiss Remus on the head. Seems like a small step forward, but to Leah it was a huge success.

Now Leah and Lily lay sleeping in Leah's room. Leah had not wanted to sleep alone on the first night of her stay in an un-familiar room, so Lily brought over her covers and settled down beside her bed. James, Remus, and Sirius were all sitting on James bed looking at Quiditch magazines. It was much past midnight and there was low music droning in the background.

"Alright, I'm done with this one, switch?"

"Switch."

They shut their magazines and tossed it to the next person, who received it just as eagerly. A few minutes later Remus, without looking up from his magazine, said in a convincing casual tone, "So James, how's it been with just Lily and you all of break?"

James stopped reading and looked up. Sirius hid a grin with his hand and awaited James' response.

"What're you implying?"

Remus had done a good job of faking a staged conversation starter, and looked up from his magazine for the first time, "What are you talking about?"

"I don't like Lily like that!" He protested suddenly.

Remus and Sirius exchanged pleased looks, "I never said that."

James glowered and muttered, "Well, you implied it."

"You know I didn't. But go ahead and explain yours and Lily's…"

" '_Nonexistent'_." Sirius added.

"-relationship."

James grumbled and violently turned the pages of the magazines without even looking at their contents. "Nothing."

"Fine, we won't leave until you tell us though." Sirius said simply and slid back into his magazine.

"Alright, alright! Since you're forcing me to, you give me no other option. Okay, I admit, there might be a small tiny little bit of attraction between us, but it's not that serious and plus, it's only because she's a girl and I'm a guy. It doesn't mean anything."

"That's what they all say." Remus shook his head.

"You just don't know it yet, but you're madly in love with her. You think she's amazingly beautiful and smart and sexy and-"

James cut off Sirius, "Enough! God, only because I could possibly like her and only because I admit that she does sort of look good does not mean that I _love_ her!"

Looking satisfied, Sirius turned to Remus triumphantly, closing his magazine shut and saying, "We've gone from attraction to possibly liking and thinking she's pretty. Enough for one night, Moony."

"You're right. Catch you later Prongs." Remus told James, he too clapping his magazine closed and following Sirius off the bed.

"What?" James cried, his mind completely disoriented. "I don't get it, what's going on?"

"He'll get it in a minute or two, come on. Night Prongs." Sirius waved, and seconds later James was sitting alone in his room in the same spot he had been seconds ago when his friends had still been in his room.

Then it clicked.

"Wait. WAIT! I didn't mean any of that! I love MARRRYY!"

When all he heard was his own voice and it's faint echo bouncing off the walls of his room, he gave a groan of despair and fell backwards onto his bed. He was in deep, deep shit. Not only did he let it slip to Remus and Sirius, but every word he had uttered from his moth had been completely true.

"Leah, I feel really girly. I feel self-conscious. I feel weird."

Lily was standing in front of a mirror, looking at herself plainly with a disgusted expression.

Leah, who was taking off her jumble of necklaces, turned around to look at her. She waited a moment before asking, "Yeah? Why?"

Lily sighed and turned to her friend. They were in Leah's room; it was the morning of Christmas Eve. After a pleasant breakfast with James' parents, James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus; the girls had retreated to Leah's room to have a little, "talk", as Leah had called it. But they had stayed in her room without saying anything, Leah was waiting the silence to boil up and make Lily burst with whatever first came to her mind. Which, Leah hoped, would somehow lead to James.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Lily shrugged and fumbled with the stray edges of the bed cover.

"Are you feeling self conscious now?" Leah tried again.

Lily replied, "Not much. But the other day when James and I went swimming, and I had to put on the bathing suit, I looked in the mirror once and felt like everything was wrong with me."

"Ah. Well, even though you're not one to be very self-conscious, there has got to be a weak self-esteem point somewhere. Is that the only time?"

"No…" Lily looked like she didn't want to say anything else.

"Well?"

"When James and I went shopping for dress robes…actually, he just stayed outside and Mary and I tried stuff on…."

Lily didn't continue, so Leah pressed her forward, "And…."

"And whenever James would look at me in a dress I'd freak out and run back in and take the dress off as quickly as possible." She said quickly.

"Ever think it's because of James being there?"

"James? No, that's dumb." Lily said in a falsely convincing voice.

"Mhmm." Leah rolled her eyes and turned to Lily again. "Listen Lils; you've been almost complaining about how every time you got close to him you felt weird or funny and didn't know what it was. Hun, when was the last time you went out on a date?"

"A while." Lily sighed.

"So you've forgotten what liking somebody feels like?"

"WHAT? No way! I don't like James like that. You, Leah, of all people should know-"

Leah put her hand out and signaled for Lily to stop. She did, and Leah said softly, "Face the facts. You feel self-conscious whenever you're around him; you get a feeling in your stomach whenever he touches you or smiles at you. You go out of your way to be in his company, you flirt like crazy…there has _got_ to be something there."

Lily groaned, "Noooo. This CAN'T be happening." She covered her eyes with her hands as if trying to block out the truth.

"Why are you so mad about it?"

"This isn't supposed to happen…we're supposed to be only friends. _Only friends._ I don't want to lose his friendship!"

"Who says that you're going to lose your friendship?"

Lily removed her hands and slowly dragged them down her face, and sighed. "It's going to be awkward, and he's not going to feel the same way about me, and then the awkwardness will be too weird to bare and we're going to grow apart."

"Somebody's being a pessimist."

"Shut it. Wait a second, how do you even know I like him?" Lily sat up accusingly, "Because I can't ever imagine kissing him-"

"Even though you have."

"Shut _up!_" Leah rolled her eyes. Lily continued, "I don't want to kiss him or anything, so I don't like him that way."

"Oh I think you do…you just haven't let yourself…explore that part of your mind." As soon as she finished that daring comment, she was hit by a floppy pillow, aimed nicely at her head.

Lily gave her a glare and Leah chucked the pillow back.

"Listen to me will you? I know you know that you like him. Admit it, it's not like I'm going to tell anyone."

Hesitating for a moment, Lily asked, "Swear?"

"Lily! Have I ever broken a promise?"

"Well…"

"A big promise. Have I ever broken a big promise?" She corrected.

"No…" Lily muttered.

"Well then? You're being stubborn."

"I know." Lily groaned. "I'm being a whiny bitch."

"You're not being a bitch, you're just really whiny."

"Thanks."

"No problem. You know, maybe if you admitted you liked James your whiney-ness would evaporate."

Lily gave a long sigh. "Okay…I…maybe like James."

"Maybe?"

"Just a little. I like him a little." Lily added hastily.

"You're so cute when you're nervous."

"Stop acting like a mother."

"Stop acting like a baby and maybe I wouldn't have to!"

Lily let out a laugh. "Okay, now that I've admitted I like James-"

"Progress!"

"-how am I going to get rid of it?"

"Get rid of it?" Leah asked in a shocked voice.

"Yeah, get rid of it. It would never work out, I want to avoid it all together." She declared.

"You're right, you're not acting like yourself much." Leah said in an undertone.

"Maybe I should get a boyfriend."

"Or maybe you should just see how it goes. You know, act like you feel nothing and take it from there?" Leah suggested.

"That'll work for now." Lily sighed and put on a gloomy face.

"I think you two would be great for each other." Leah commented.

Hiding away a pleased blush, Lily stood up immediately and changed the subject, "Come on let's go downstairs. We have to go help them decorate the house for the ball."

Standing up to join Lily, Leah grinned, "Right, I'm coming."

As they walked out the door, Lily froze in the doorway. "Not a word, okay?" She whispered earnestly.

"Not a word."

The Marauders, Leah, and Lily were sitting in front of the fireplace sipping down their hot cocoa that James' mother had prepared. Next to their couch was a large but homey looking Christmas tree, hand decorated with twinkling ornaments and blinking lights of all colors imaginable. In the dark, in the silence, it radiated it's peaceful feeling to everyone. The fire roared and soothed everyone's troubles, numbing them, telling them to wait for another day to worry.

Despite their riches, their fancy clothing and jewelry, the manor and the many house elves, the Potters really were quite humble. For one thing, they kept their tree a reasonable size, and had only a few presents under the tree. Unlike many rich wizarding families, they did not have presents stacked sky-high, did not have a tree that reached the ceiling. And what the guests found incredibly kind was that there were presents for each of them as well, not just for the regular inhibitors.

After the last drop of warmth went down their throats, the arrangement was so: Lily was leaning on James, her eyelids drooping. Leah was beside Lily, her head resting beside Remus, who was absently playing with strands of her hair. Sirius was fast asleep, taking up a whole couch and limbs spread out in all directions.

Soon, Sirius' sleep spread contagiously, and Leah fell into a light sleep. Remus eventually dropped her hair and gave himself up to sleep. James wasn't sure if Lily was asleep yet or not. Her eyes were closed, but her breathing was more irregular than that of a sleeper's.

In answer to his question, Lily said so softly he wouldn't have been able to hear it if it hadn't been so silent, "So, do you always sleep on the couch on Christmas?"

"Always, waiting for Santa."

"Mmm. I'm going to sleep now, is that okay?"

"Of course, why not?"

"Well, seeing as there's no other room, I'm sort of going to be sleeping on you."

"I'll scoot." James somewhat flattened himself to the side, letting Lily lay down in front of him. She got comfortable, and just as he spoke a few moments later, she felt his breath on her neck and realize how incredibly close to him she was.

"I'm sorry." This made Lily's eyes shoot open. She turned her body around so she was facing him. Again, she was inches away from his face. God, what gorgeous eyes. They spoke in hushed whispers:

"What?"

"I'm sorry for making six years of your life hell."

That wasn't what she was expecting.

"It's okay, you've made up for it, don't worry."

"Alright. I feel guilty."

"Don't."

"I'll do my best."

"Hey, James?" Lily asked after a few moments of silence

"Yeah?"

"Promise you'll still be my friend, even if something horrible happens?"

"What kind of horrible? What are you implying?"

"Nothing, just promise me."

"Okay, I promise."

Lily smiled. Okay, she gave up, she could think about kissing him, right about now, with his face so close to hers and his eyes so bright. But she didn't. She wanted to fight off that horrible event as long as she possibly could. "Good. Now _I _can go to sleep."

"I guess I should too, Santa should be coming any time now." He raised his watch into view, "Yep. Five past midnight. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas."

"Good night."

"Night James."

"Sleep tight."

"You too."

"Don't let the bed bugs bite."

"This is a couch."

"In that case, I hope I don't squash you during the night."

"Go to sleep."

James grinned, "Fine. Good night." He gave her a kiss on the top of her head before plopping his head down and giving a tired sigh.

Lily was immensely grateful that she was facing the other way, otherwise he would have noticed the blush creep onto her cheeks. She was happy now, close to James and comfortable. Lily tried to block it out of her view, tried to ignore it until she was forced to face it; but she knew somewhere in the jumble of her mind that the horrible event James had promised to survive was lurking around the corner. In all honesty, it wasn't such a horrible event, just the beginning an immensely confusing highway with detours and flashing signs and speeding cars in every direction. After she got through that hell, it would lead her to the most magnificent thing she could ever imagine. Naturally, in a hectic highway like the one she was pulling into, you're going to end up having a ticket or two by the time you get out of it. That there would be plenty of, it was going to be quite a heavy price to pay. But there was no other option now, she was too far in, fate had already drawn out its path.

* * *

He guys, Merry Late Christmas and a Happy Early New Year! (And for those of you who don't celebrate Christmas, happy 25th of December). With the holiday rush, I'm sorry I didn't have all that time to write. We're going on a trip in a few days so I've been gushing out all my brain work on make-up work! Oh, and DDR Extreme, which I got for Christmas. Much cooler than DDR Max 2, if there are any DDR addicts in the house. Anyway, hope you liked this chapter. Finally, they admit that they like each other a little. Don't worry, it will get better, but tell me what you thought, I always love to hear it. 

Thanks to all my reviewers:

**Manny2003, Secludeddark, SodaFizZz19, Brinneybit, slippersRfuzzy, mew, le manchot du destin, nicky, Elspeth Renee, Jackster222, Evanz, amylikes2hug, Breana, And yes I do drink tea, LCH8292, lyra hime, Crimson Girl, Telwyn Dubois, its a spoon, bex, --, evahyoung, Lily20, dAnCeChIc12345, anamika29**

_And a few comments :_

**Manny**- Yeah, James is really dumb. A little slow. Took him a while to get Lily's gender straight. Tehe. Thanks for reviewing.

**Secludeddark**- If I could kill Mary off, I would. But, sadly, I have to "kill" her off slowly. Thanks for reviewing.

**Mew**- Thanks so much! Hmm…do I have any other stories like this…not really. The other ones I have up in my opinion aren't as well plotted as good, and I really don't plan on finishing it. But later, when I'm furthur through with this one, I'll probably start another one.

**le manchot du destin**- Wow, I'm flattered! Thanks ever so much, and I will be sure to check out your stories. ;)

**Elspeth Renee**- Thanks, Merry late Christmas to you too! And I hope you get all that work done. It's a drag..:

**Princesstygerlilly**- I liked your review, it was quite flattering. Thank you tons for reviewing and I'm glad that you like it! 3

**Breana**- Thank you for the info on the vegemite. I knew a bunch of people from Australia, and they were completely obsessed with the stuff. Anyway, I can see how Irwin is an embarrassment…but don't worry, America has plenty more idiots. I'm constantly blushing.

**And yes I do drink tea**- I always do love your reviews. And golly, this one was short! Science…so completely unfair…I suck at science, but that might be because I study the morning of the test…but sshhh. Anyway, sorry bout the last chapter, it wasn't in great condition, I admit that. Maybe this one was better? looks hopeful

**SodaFizZz19**- Hehe, yes, Lily is going to get a boyfriend that's not James in a little while…but no, not out of spite. Nice thinking, great minds think alike.

**dAnCeChIc12345-** Hi Katie, I'm Althea. Glad you like my story. Ok, so a day late, but lets pretend I updated on Christmas.


	25. The Christmas Ball

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: I don't own nada. It's all JK Rowling. Well, except the plot and Leah and Mary and a bunch of the extras. But that's it. _

_

* * *

Previously_

_Naturally, in a hectic highway like the one she was pulling into, you're going to end up having a ticket or two by the time you get out of it. That there would be plenty of, it was going to be quite a heavy price to pay. But there was no other option now, she was too far in, fate had already drawn out its path.

* * *

_

**Chapter Twenty-Five: The Christmas Ball**

She woke up calmly, her eyes fluttered open gently, only to realize she was the only one awake at these primary hours of the morning. The first thing Lily registered as she came back to her senses was a feeling of warmth, and a snore behind her reminded her whom she had chosen to fall asleep next to. James' arm was by her head, the other she could feel against her back. Small gusts of breath rustled against the top of her head, she was so close she could mark every rhythm of his breathing, could make out his distinct, lulling smell.

This is how she wanted to stay. Her awake while the others slept, while James was close enough for her to trace with her eyes the lines on his hands. There was nobody to assume, nobody to poke and prod in something that wasn't their business, nobody to tease her later. It was just her, here, now with James.

Lily closed her eyes for a few moments, breathed in deeply, and put everything behind her and just savored the moment. But James' arm brought her out of her paradise as it gave a turn, making her jump slightly. Lily held her breath, not wanting to know the reaction he might have waking up to find her closer than when they had gone to sleep, even if it was subtle. He, to her relief, was still asleep.

The sun was shining more radiantly now, chasing away any shadows in the corners of the room, and was sure to wake her companions any time now. So gently, Lily moved out of James' grasp, purposely waking him up in the process. James stirred and reached to rub his eyes beneath the glasses. He gave a yawn and looked up at Lily, who was standing now.

"Feliz Navidad," he started singing in a groan, with a horrible Spanish accent, might I add. "Feliz Navidad…"

Lily had to laugh, it was too much like him.

"Feliz Navidad Potter," she said, using his former nickname in an affectionate way.

"You too Evans. Help me up?" He asked, and stretched out a hand for her to take.

"I'll try." Lily grabbed his hand and yanked him up. He came up, sort of, but not without stumbling over his feet first.

Once he was safely up on his feet, he stretched and glanced around at the rest of the sleepers.

"You wake up the lovebirds and I'll wake the lonely hermit."

"Deal."

After waking the lovebirds and the lonely hermit, Lily finally looked around the room and noticed the pile of presents that appeared during the course of the night. How they got there, Lily didn't know, but didn't ask, not wanting to seem dumb. So she just smiled and yelled, "Presents! Let's open them!"

Sirius, who was sitting next to Remus on the couch, exclaimed, "No! Not yet! We have to wait for the parents to wake up. We can't open presents _without_ them."

Sensing that this was a tradition she was not accustomed to, she just nodded and sat down next to Leah on the other couch. James was in the kitchen preparing breakfast ("You cook?") for everyone, so they stood there staring greedily at their presents.

Finally, behind them came the swashing footsteps of James' parents. They turned to see them coming down the stairs slowly, dressed in festive red and green robes and with Santa Claus slippers that lit up as you walked. The Potters were quite involved during the holiday season.

After they exchanged their appropriate holiday greetings, James arrived with a tray of cinnamon roles, looking very well cooked. So well cooked that Lily was quite sure he didn't make it himself, but it was Christmas, so she let his ego be blown up with holiday cheer.

All the presents looked undeniably perfect, with bows on top and neat wrapping, a display of the ideal life people expected them to live. Christmas was a very joyful time, a time where everyone easily let their trouble slip off their shoulders for them to find it later. At the moment time was non-existent, the only thing that mattered was what was happening now.

So they smiled and opened their presents, toppling over each other with hugs as they received opened their gifts in delight. Lily, for the first time in her life, had actually gotten presents from people other than Remus and Leah. So, having a present from Sirius, James, James' parents, and a small present from Peter, she felt quite popular.

Lily had snatched the present from Sirius first (she got him the biggest load of prank items you can imagine), which turned out to be a witty wizarding parody of muggle fantasy books, which, just by looking at the cover, she couldn't wait to read. Next was Peter's, which was a small, but delicious looking box of chocolates, which she somehow put down and saved for later (Lily sent him a bag of jellybeans…a day ago that she found at the bottom of Leah's trunk). Remus' gift was a small little water fountain with rocks, which she remembered seeing some sort of muggle Zen store ages ago when she invited Remus to go to the mall with her. Lily was quite surprised he remembered how amused she was with it. Her gift to Remus was a glass wolf that walked around calmly, almost like a playful dog. When the full moon was approaching, it would begin to sleep if the moon was tame or howl if it was strong (obviously there were different kinds of moons. Lily was completely ignorant when it came it this, but she was sure that Remus knew something about it. And even if he didn't, the wolf was amusing enough just walking around). The Potter parents got her a stationary set and told her to 'write them often with it'. (Although at first she hadn't planned to give them a present, she did and got them a pair of coffee mugs that kept your coffee warm for hours. The Potters were coffee people.)

She gushed over everyone else's presents, thanked everyone again, and then realized when she turned to James to thank him, that he hadn't given her a present. Lily doubtfully searched the floor again, but all she could see was wrapping paper and bows. Turning to him, she asked, "Did you completely forget about me?"

"No…er, I just forgot to wrap your present. It's upstairs."

"Well, did you like the present I gave you?" Lily asked and scooted down the carpet to sit next to him.

"The colorful array of boxers was stunning."

"I'm glad you liked them. What about the full Auror encyclopedia that cost me millions?"

"Oh, that too." He smirked playfully, which she returned.

"I'll go get your present, want to come?"

Lily shrugged and stood up, "Alright."

"I left Lily's present upstairs, we're going to go upstairs to get it."

"Alright honey," Hannah Potter turned to look at her son, who was already heading up the stairs with Lily, "don't get lost."

As Mrs. Potter turned her head back, she and her husband traded obvious smirks. Sirius, Remus, and Leah laughed upon seeing this, and it was a wordless, secret agreement between them all.

James pushed open the door and ran over to his bed. He belly flopped onto it and stuck his head down the side, searching underneath his bed, through all the trash, for the treasure that he had 'forgotten to wrap'. Lily stood, leaning at the doorway, watching with amusement.

"Find it?" She tauntingly asked after a minute's search.

"Uhh…no…YES! Here it is!" He came up triumphantly with a small bag in his hand. His face was completely red from hanging upside down, so Lily walked over to the bed in fear that if he made any sudden movements he might faint.

Plopping across from him, she sat cross-legged with her head resting in her hands.

"Let me make sure this is yours." He peeked inside and then thrust it forward.

Lily took the bag carefully, shaking it slightly first. When it made a little jingling sound, she began to shake it furiously.

"Good thing it's not breakable," James smirked, and Lily smiled sheepishly.

Lily finally opened the bag carefully, dug through the tissue, and pulled out a tiny box. Lily looked up at James and locked eyes with him, but quickly looked down. He was staring at her with his EYES! His damn gorgeous eyes she just wanted to…shut. Because they were making her feel…sick. Yeah, his eyes were making her feel sick, so he needed to close them.

She returned her concentration back to the small golden-lined box. Lily eagerly bit her lip to keep from grinning too wide as she pulled off the cover. Lily didn't speak for the first few moments, since her jaw was dropped low and she lay staring at it in disbelief. The silver chain glinted in the little sunlight that illuminated the room, and the small emerald gems sent out a beautiful glow of green light. Delicately strung from the chain hung four small emeralds, and the way it managed to be a breathtaking piece of jewelry while being so simple was amazing, and Lily was immediately in love with it.

"Are you sure this is for _me?_" Lily asked slowly. She might die if it wasn't.

"100 percent sure. Don't you like it?" He asked, now sounding rather hurt.

Lily, seeing he had taken it the wrong way, quickly corrected, "Of course I do! It's just…this must have cost you a fortune!"

"If you haven't noticed Lily," he began in an amused tone, "I have a fortune or two to spend."

James was grinning widely now, sure he had gotten the right present for her.

"But still!"

"Hey, I already bought it. It's yours until the day you die, since you're not going to lose it, right? I might have a fortune to spend, but it did cost a lot." He teased.

"Thank you!"

She sprung onto him and swept him into a tight embrace, which he smiled and took it as the best thank you he could get. When she was done squeezing the life out of him, she plopped down beside him and said with a long sigh, "Wow James you're the best."

"I'm glad you think so, I was afraid you wouldn't like it." He admitted.

"Not like it?" She exclaimed. "No James, you have a very good taste in jewelry, even if you are a boy."

"I take it you also like the earrings I got Leah?"

"Yes I did." Although you could easily tell that the earrings were nothing compared to the necklace, and at this thought she felt almost honored.

"Wanna see what I got Mary?" He asked, leaning over the side of the bed again to fish out another bag.

Well, she couldn't exactly say no, so she didn't say anything and waited for him to re-appear with the same kind of small bag her present was in.

He came up and opened the bag, taking the little box out and revealing a silver bracelet with charms hanging off the ends. Lily had to admit it was nice, if you hadn't seen her piece of jewelry prior to it. Although she knew it wasn't the price that mattered, she couldn't help but noticing that the present James had gotten her was almost double in the quality and expense than either of the other jewelry James had purchased as gifts. James began to talk to her, but she zoned and began to wonder why on earth he would even dream of spending more money on her than anyone else. Favorable options popped into her mind, but she willed them away in guilt. Possibly, she counter argued, her mind was deceiving her, trying to trick herself into thinking that James had even the smallest bit of attention towards her. Settling on the latter as the answer, Lily tuned back into what James was explaining to her.

"The necklace I got you are almost the exact colors of your eyes, and what little I saw of your dress," he stopped here put in a well-placed glare, "it wasn't green, which I expected. Bbut I still thought it would match very well"

"You made a very good choice, I'm in love with it."

James grinned widely, "Good. What about Mary's present, do you think she'll like that?"

"Of course." She said reassuringly.

They both lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling, not uttering a single word between them but completely content. Lily held up the box and trailed her fingers over the jewels.

"You make me feel so bad about my presents." She admitted.

"Don't, they were perfectly fine. Which reminds me, why don't we go back downstairs?"

"Oh right, they're waiting for us aren't they."

"Yeah. We have to go do last minute touch-ups on the ballroom." He said with a groan, swinging himself off the bed.

Lily followed suit, "Fun. Are you going to spike the punch?"

Lily's head peeked out behind the wall.

"Are they here yet?" Leah asked, back against the other side of the wall where nobody could see her.

Lily squinted, "Some group of people just arrived. It's about nine people, they look pretty old."

"Okay." Leah said calmly, breathing deeply to regain her wild breath.

"Ready to go out?" Lily asked her companion.

She took a deep breath, "…No. Next group of people, I promise."

"Alright, alright." Lily slid from her watchful position and stood next to her friend.

It was eight o'clock, and the guests were just now beginning to arrive. They didn't arrive in pairs of two or three, they arrived in complete families- that last group of nine was considerably the smallest group that had come in so far. There weren't many people in the room yet, and those that were there were standing around chatting with acquaintances, or shaking hands politely. It looked odd, the huge room practically empty, except for a few specks of people. She wondered why people hadn't spread out to the other parts of the party room, which was on the second floor of the ballroom, and consisted of sitting rooms and a little bar where you could pick up from sodas to exotic cocktail drinks. Yet, she wasn't educated in the 'ball etiquette', so she couldn't say anything. So she went with the flow and patiently waited for the next group to arrive.

Lily took another look and said in an eager whisper, "Another group of people- this one's big, are you ready to go?"

It wasn't really a question, since Lily grabbed Leah firmly around the arm and slowly pulled her out of her hiding place.

"Come on, there's less people now, I don't know why you want it to be fuller."

"Well-" she started with exasperation, "now there's not that many people, and I'll stick out…"

"Oh come on, the Leah I know wouldn't give a shit."

That was the only thing that made Leah stop resisting and facing her fears. She was beginning to miss this old Leah everyone was talking about.

Lily and Leah, although certainly not the most dressed up, did fit in surprisingly well. It was hard to keep herself from grinning when she felt so great in her dark blue dress. Her hair was tied back, something that she didn't do often, and a strand of hair was hanging gracefully to the side of her face. The stunning necklace took it's place around her neck almost like it was a part of her, and made all who looked at her do a quick double-take. Lily couldn't be happier about herself right now, right down to the way her dress swished when she walked, and yet so comfortable she was hardly aware it was aristocrat fashion.

Leah looked amazing as well, her dress was daring considering the circumstances. It was dark red and went down all the way to her ankles, rippling down like water, making her look almost exotic with the sheer simplicity and shape. The straps were considerably thicker than Lily's, pinched at the top for effect. What made Lily surprised- but pleased at her friend's determination to conquer her fear- was the small little neckline. They were getting somewhere!

"They're looking at me funny," Leah muttered, tight at her friend's side.

"No they're not."

They walked into the center of the room to find the boys, who they hadn't seen since the evening, when the girls had disappeared to get ready. They found them easily, talking casually with a crowd of people. More, Sirius was busy flirting and Remus was talking to an older man, and James was the one looking like he was enjoying himself immensely talking to a group of people.

Obviously, the wealthy wizarding community kept track of everyone else's business and knew every relative of their large family. She could see the questioning looks people shot each other as she and Leah walked by confidently. Who were these girls, and what were they doing at their party? Lily had a good idea that it was the same people invited year after year.

They approached the heart of the ballroom, and casually strode up to James, who was just slowing down his conversation.

As soon as he saw them, his face lit up and he excused himself from his audience for a moment to go and greet them.

"Hey guys!" He said, coming over and putting an arm around either. "You two ladies look stunning." He complimented, and then touched Lily's necklace.

"Looks better than I thought." He whispered into her ear, sending the usual shockwave of shivers through her.

"Thanks." She smiled. She'd already learned to keep her facial expressions under control when something like that happened.

Leah put an annoying I-know-what's-happening grin on her face.

"Now, I must introduce you to the gang."

"The gang? It's a mob."

Ignoring her comment, he dragged them along to the group he had been talking to earlier. It consisted of mostly men in their mid forties, but a few of the ladies there must have been in their thirties. Lily and Leah shot them their best smiles and said their how-are-you's and fine-thank-you's.

"These are two very good friends of mine, Lily Evans and Leah Johnson."

They smiled again.

"Lily, Leah, these are some family friends of ours. This is Mr. and Mrs. Aarazag, and their son-in-law Mathew and his beautiful wife Jessica. Then this here is Mary-Ann, Jessica's cousin, which happens to be Mary's aunt!"

Wonderful how these connections turned out to be.

"Lovely to meet you." Said Mr. Aarazag, "My brother's daughter-in-law's niece has a boy about your age, doesn't she, James?"

"Ah yes, old Jeffery, is he here yet?" James asked politely.

"I'm sure he's around here somewhere. Do introduce them to each other, I'm sure they'll get along fine." He gave a wink.

"Will do. And Mary, has she arrived?" He asked Mary-Ann.

"She should be here soon."

"Great. Now, if you excuse us, I have more introducing to do." He gave a charming smile goodbye before dragging the girls to yet another party to meet. This party was all of elder men and women, all who shook the two's hands firmly, without barley letting out a trace of smile. They quickly left, and met the head of the Wizarding Weekly, and all of his sons and daughters and ex-wives.

Lily had to give him credit, remembering all these names must have taken years of looking at invitation lists over and over again.

After James introduced them to for a few more people, they finally ran into the ever awaited Mary and her family. They were just like Lily would have thought them to be- filthy rich.

"Mother, father, this is the boyfriend I have been telling you plenty about, James Potter." Mary was selective in the word she emphasized, and it was clear that she wanted to make an impression with her parents. Mary's hands were clasped behind her back, and if Lily wasn't mistaken, she looked a little bit nervous.

"Nice to meet you," Mary's mother extended her arm first, giving him a lukewarm smile and a critical scan. James smiled and kissed her hand. Oh, very suave.

"The pleasure is mine."

Now Mary's father extended his arm, but said nothing, just gave him a firm look. James returned the firm handshake, never once flinching.

"Father, did you know that James plays Quiditch?"

"Do you?" Mary's father seemed to warm up a little.

"Head of the Gryffindor team." He said proudly.

"Impressive. What about grades?"

"Mostly O's."

"Career choice?"

"Auror, sir."

"Yes, yes. Well then, Mary, you have fun. I'll see you all later," He dismissed after being satisfied with the kind of boy his daughter was dating.

It was now that they even realized that Lily and Leah were present, and the only way the showed this was by a curt nod. Well, Mary's parents weren't that nice, it was obvious that the way they judged somebody's worth was by their relations. That did actually explain a lot about Mary….but she looked absolutely nothing like her mother.

"Isn't her mom dead?" Leah whispered.

Good point. Golden star for Leah.

"Maybe it's her step-mom."

"I think we would have heard if they got re-married."

"Or maybe not, what if they got married without telling Mary, hence Mary not knowing and telling James during school."

"What kind of bastard would get married without his daughter knowing?"

"It's evil, but I'm sure it's possible."

"I guess. That sucks though."

When they finished their little conversation, they looked up and realized Mary's parents were gone. Mary had already glided over to James and was now hanging on him like a leech. Lily looking away as the two kissed. Ugh. Completely disgusting. After Mary was done with her little scene, she finally noticed Lily standing there. It seemed that the delay in noticing people was genetical.

"Merry Christmas Lily." She said sweetly, in a manner that reminded Lily strongly of the time she ate too many candy canes around the holidays and ended up throwing it all up.

"Merry Christmas." Lily returned. If that girl thought she was going to win this war, she couldn't be more wrong.

When James led Mary away (to giver her the present, she figured), Lily took Leah out to find Remus so them two could dance.

"Hello Remus. I found this sad lonely dog on the street, want to dance with her?" Lily asked pleasantly to Remus, who was loitering by the snack table.

Leah put on a puppy dog frown.

"How could I resist?" He smiled and took Leah off Lily's hands, leaving Lily free to linger around. She walked around for a while, and was to her surprise asked to dance twice by men who looked at least five years older than her. Taken aback, she said nothing and let them steer her into the dance floor. Then she remembered she was looking for a boyfriend, and decided that neither of these men were what she was really looking for, so she excused herself politely.

Lily eventually wound up dancing with Sirius, who had finished kissing some girl who looked 'in need of a little kiss'. Lily rolled her eyes but danced with him anyway, since James was dancing with Mary and Remus with Leah, and those were all the people she really wanted to dance with.

"Let's go outside." Sirius finally suggested, as both of them began to get quite bored of dancing. All the songs seemed the same; the songs were slow and didn't contain the slightest bit of spontaneous life in them. Then again, this was a ball, not a club. Lily shrugged and followed him through the swarm of old people and out into the night. The sun wasn't visible, but there was a faint glow of red and yellow lingering around the horizon signaling that the sun had just set. After sitting on a bench that was facing to the outside, Sirius took a square box out of his back pocket. At first Lily couldn't make out exactly what it was in the evening shadow, but when he pulled a slender cigarette out and lit it with his wand, Lily haad to shut her eyes and open them again to make sure that she was seeing the right thing.

"You smoke?" She cried out in shock.

Sirius shrugged. Lily took the cigarette out of his mouth before he could inhale and smothered it with her foot.

"Not around me you don't."

"Ok mum." He rolled his eyes.

"Don't be sarcastic with me."

"Whatever. It's not like I'm addicted to it or anything."

"Mhmm."

"Really." He said defensively. "It just gets my mind off things."

"Like what?"

"Life."

"Life." Lily repeated.

In elaboration, eh said, "It's nice in the Potter house, it's a shield from reality around Christmas time. You should see it all other days." He gave grim chortle. This was the cynical Sirius Lily had only seen a few times.

"What's it like other days?" She asked curiously, forgetting about the cigarette completely.

Sirius gazed out into the snowy mist.

"Everyone's running around hectically. You know, James' dad might be retired Auror, but he's still a main target for Death heaters."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He killed a lot of powerful Death Eaters in his time. And now he just works around with the information, hardly ever going on the field, unless they have a shortage of Aurors, which we have been having lately."

"Why has there been a shortage?"

"People are scared."

"Oh. I want to be an Auror."

"So do I."

"You're probably going to be a criminal." Lily teased.

There was that cynical grin again, "Yeah, probably."

Again, he absentmindedly reached for his back pocket. When he saw Lily's glare, he gave up and let his hand drop.

"Right." He grumbled.

"What about James' mum?"

"She killed one of the lead Death Eaters. It was an accident; of course, I don't think she could do it willingly. But she did…she's lucky to still be alive."

"James hasn't done anything like that, has he?"

Sirius gave a tired laugh, "It doesn't matter what he has or hasn't done. The fact that he was born into one of the most…powerful wizarding families that have lines back to Godric Gryffindor himself…that, that is enough."

"What've you done?" She asked, sensing this was what his depressed spirits were all about.

"Let me explain it to you Lily, I'm sure you know it vaguely but…my family hates me. You probably don't know how it feels, but-"

"Sirius, think about who you're talking to. My dad's just as much as a bastard as yours. Of course I know how it feels."

Sirius gave a grin, "You're right. Well, then it's simple. Imagine your dad being in an underground gang of people who killed just to kill, who needed to see blood spilled to smile. Then imagine that you were the oldest, who, in a way, was to inherit the fortune, their home, their name….and you betrayed them. Can you imagine the anger they'd feel? I've lived with that for years, since I was a baby and I innocently befriended James. We were toddlers…all were cared about were crayons and Barney…but I was still blamed for it. They've disowned me, they did the day I was sorted into Gryffindor, and now they wouldn't hesitate to kill me."

Lily was silent; there wasn't really much consolation you can give.

"That sucks."

"I know." He shook his head. "But you learn to live with it, which I'm sure you also know."

"You and me Sirius, as much as you get on my nerves sometimes, are quite alike."

"I hate to agree…but it's true."

She sighed. "Now I feel gloomy. Thanks a lot."

"You're welcome. Tell a friend, there's enough gloom to go around." He gave a long sigh.

They sat there in silence, Lily's mind racing. She had suddenly remembered, with Sirius' invigorating speech, that there was life outside of James' house. There were those annoying girls in school that thought Lily had paid James to be her friend or something like that…there were those annoying ministry officials that were only ruining wizarding government…there was that abusive alcoholic father of hers and that stuck up sister…there was Voldemort, still lurking around waiting for his next victim to stroll by. And like that, he'd snatch him with his evil hands and take them off the face of the earth- she forgot people could do that.

The thought was horrifying.

Suddenly, a group of six people came in through the door. Lily and Sirius jumped and turned their heads to see their friends coming outside, still laughing about some joke or another.

"Hey guys!" Leah chirped happily.

"Hey." Sirius and Lily said, seeming manically depressed compared to the joy the rest of them wore.

As they all filed outside on the porch, Lily finally saw who everyone was. James and Mary had come out in linked hands, as well as Leah and Remus. Peter and some other blonde boy had joined the couples as well. Sirius and Lily had a mutual agreement to stuff the gloom in the closet for somebody else to find it. Right now everyone else was so happy…they didn't want to ruin it.

"Hello Remus, Leah, James, Mary, Peter, and some other guy I don't know." Lily greeted.

The newcomer had blonde, curly hair that fell over his eyes. He gave a small smile at her comment, and Lily instinctively touched her hair to fix it, and once she realized what she was doing, let her hand fall limp to her side. The thing she liked most was his eyes though, they were mysterious. Lily liked that.

"Oh yeah, Lily, this is Jeff, a family friend of ours." James said, introducing him to Lily.

"Hi." Lily smiled.

"Hey." He smiled back.

Oh, he was nice.

Leah and Remus sat next to Sirius, then James and Mary next to Lily. Jeff and Peter took the very ends of the bench awkwardly.

"Jeff lives in Italy." James explained.

"Came all the way here for a party." He chuckled.

"Do you speak Italian?" Mary asked.

"Yeah, born and bred Italian." Jeff announced proudly.

Lily said nothing hoping she wouldn't embarrass herself in front of him.

"I want to go to Italy." Lily spilled despite of herself. She inwardly breathed a sigh of relief; thanking God she didn't say anything dumb.

"It's amazing there." He told her with a charming smile, which Lily flashed back. Oh damn, she just couldn't stop from grinning right now, a boy actually seemed to _like_ her! Normally this wouldn't bring her to such a happy state, but with the current drought of dateable boys back in Hogwarts, this kind of thing excited her generously.

James looked back from Lily to Jeff, and instantly tensed. They…they liked each other? What had he done? Now Lily was going to go run off with him and leave Hogwarts and get pregnant as a teenager, and Jeff would leave her, and she'd be a lonely single mother and James would never be able to see her again! Ok, exaggeration, but he told himself that he needed to step in or things might get ugly.

Completely forgetting Mary's presence, he put on his flirting-with-Lily mode (to show Jeff who was boss around here) and asked her, "How's the party, Lily love?"

For a second Lily didn't know how to answer, feeling trapped by Jeff's subtle flirting and James' usual, quite obvious antics. What was unusual though was that James had never flirt in front of other boys and, especially, Mary. Although she felt like almost sinking back and disappearing as she felt Mary's sharp eye on her, Lily suddenly felt the opposite effect rise out of her when she saw that Mary was also trying to hide a completely shocked expression.

"Just lovely, Jamsie." She smirked as Mary's jaw dropped further.

"Glad you're enjoying it. Save a dance for me later though, okay?"

"Alright." Lily grinned. "What else do people do here but dance?"

"Snog."

"Really?"

"Really. "

"Anything else?"

"Talk."

"Wow, it's quite the party then." Lily said rather sarcastically.

"Yeah, this is what all balls are like. If you want an actual party, you might want to go to a club."

"That's what I thought. Are there any around here?"

"Yeah, if you want one night we can go."

"Sure. It's a date."

Mary cleared her throat, and Lily and James snapped back from their conversation and remembered the presence of others that were not used to this kind of talk between them, namely Mary. Jeff looked, to Lily's relief, amused, while Mary's expression leaned more toward anger. Oh, this was fun…you could almost see sweat forming on James' forehead.

"Err…not a date…you know what I mean." James then added to Lily cautiously.

"I know what you mean." Lily said, trying half-heartedly to force down her large victory grin as James stuttered under Mary's tyrannical glare.

"James, this is a lovely bracelet you got me." Mary said suddenly and quickly, sticking out her wrist for everyone to see. She tilted her head to the side, "It must have cost you a fortune!"

James didn't give her the '"I have a fortune to spend" speech, he just nodded quickly and said, "It did,"

Pleased at his answer, Mary then turned to Lily and challenged, "So Lily, what'd you get for Christmas?"

Remus clapped a hand over Leah's mouth to keep her from crying out in laughter.

"Well, not much." Lily started out, trying to lead Mary into thinking she was going to win. "Well, I did get this, but your bracelet definitely tops it."

Mary raised her eyebrows upon seeing the necklace. She wasn't that dumb, she knew it was double the worth of her bracelet, and that was saying a lot.

"Ah, and who gave that to you?"

"James, of course." She said flippantly.

James would give anything to disappear right about now.

"James," Mary said slowly, "did you give Lily that necklace?"

"Um…yes?" He answered nervously.

"I see."

Mary rose, trying to be as dignified as she could during a moment of defeat like this. Leah was about the only one who sensed out the rivalry, and had to try incredibly hard to contain herself.

"James, come dance with me." She ordered, putting aside that sweet innocent act. It's not like anybody in this room didn't know she was a bitch, well, except Jeff, but he didn't matter.

James followed obediently, looking around at his friends to see if they were as confused as he.

Lily rose as well, "Jeff, want to dance?" She asked.

"Okay…" he stood nervously. Lily grabbed his hand and he followed her lead without question.

As the two girls passed each other through the doorway, they passed immense, deathly glares that made anybody observing it shiver.

And like that, they were gone, leaving the audience gawking.

"What the hell was that?" Sirius cried.

"I have no clue mate." Peter responded.

"You guys wouldn't." Leah sighed.

"Care to explain then, oh knowledgeable Leah?" Remus asked.

"Do guys ever fight over girls?"

"All the time."

"It's like that, it's verbal cat fight. Except not as…catty." Leah said slowly, confusing herself.

"Mary's gonna get her ass kicked then." Sirius said in a sing song voice.

"Well, Mary's a pretty good match. If they were ripping at each other's hair then Lily would kick ass…but that's completely different."

"Oh." Said a defeated Sirius.

"Yep. But on the bright side, we're a step closer to witnessing the breakup of Mary and James.

"Nah-ah!" Sirius said in disbelief.

"Yes, if you ask me, it should be coming pretty soon. Mary knows she's losing him, you can tell so easily."

"How soon?"

"I give it a month."

"A month?" Remus groaned.

"Mary's holding on for dear life, she's not letting him go easily."

With a long sigh, Sirius shook his head and said with pity, "Poor Prongsie."

Near the punch table, James stood, taking a long, well deserved break. Alone. Without Mary. How he had managed to shake off that girl was beyond him, but he was glad to be enjoying a few moments of calmness. It was stressful being the host's son, having a (he had to admit) clingy girlfriend, and then a friend who was so confusing he wasn't even going to try and find out what was going on.

Ruining this moment of isolation, Leah came sprinting through the crowd, Remus running right behind her. They were running straight towards him, and he gave an inward groan.

"Oh my God!" Leah exclaimed as the two approached closer. James couldn't tell if she was surprised, happy or angry. He settled on surprise. "Holy shit."

"What happened?" James asked curiously.

"I cannot believe her!" She didn't sound angry at all…just again, surprised.

Leah and Remus leaned against the wall next to James, panting profusely.

"What'd Lily do?" He asked accusingly.

"I went upstairs to use the loo, and she was kissing some blonde bloke!" Leah blurted.

"WHAT?" He shouted.

"God, don't freak out." Leah rolled her eyes and stood next to James. "She is allowed to kiss boys , oyu know."

"So? She's got an excuse- she hasn't kissed anybody in ages. Don't know hot the girl lived, really…"

"But…she hardly knows Jeff!" He repeated lamely.

"Tell that to the countless girls you shagged." Remus smirked, entering into the half-frantic dispute.

"Shut up!" James snapped.

"Seriously though, I'm sure it's just a spur of the moment thing." Leah said reassuringly.

"Are you sure she's not drunk?"

"No, trust me, I'd know." Leah assured.

"Really?"

"If my friend were drunk, I'd be able to tell in a matter of seconds."

"Tipsy?"

"That too. Now don't piss your pants in anger." She warned.

"Lily isn't like that!"

"You can't say that, you really haven't known her that long. You luckily haven't been around when she's had a boyfriend. Think about it James, is Lily not one of the most emotional people you know? She has to express those emotions, and her way of expressing them is…snogging, I guess, but that's not much of a surprise."

"But she's still a virgin." He retorted.

"She has her limits."

"Whatever." James grumbled, admitting slight defeat.

"Why do you care so much?" Leah asked suddenly.

"Look, if you went out and made out with a stranger, I'd sure as hell be mad at you!" He defended.

"Only because I'm dating Remus." She said with a little laugh in her voice.

James said nothing and put on an immature angry face.

"Ah look, there's Lily now." Remus announced, even though they all saw her running through the crowd, in much the same style as Leah had.

James expected her dress to be half off, her hair askew in all directions, and her makeup smeared. But she looked just as he left her, clothes on and makeup intact. In fact, James began to question the reliability of what Leah claimed to have seen. Until Lily spoke.

"Hey guys!" She greeted and leaned on the wall on the other side of James.

"Hey Lils," Remus and Leah greeted cheerfully, while James didn't answer. Lily didn't seem to notice his lack of answering.

"Isn't this party great?" Lily exclaimed, just a tad bit too enthusiastically for a girl who previously did not seem to thrilled about this at all.

With this serving enough evidence to convict her, he suddenly accused, "Lily, why'd you snog Jeff?"

"What?" The bluntness of the question put her through a moment of shock.

"Why'd you snog him?" He repeated incessantly.

"How did you know that?" Lily said nervously after giving a small hesitation.

"Leah told me."

Lily sent a glare over her shoulder. Sighing, she turned to James and grumbled, "I knew you'd react like this."

"I have every right to be angry!" He insisted defensively.

"No you don't! Get off my back, I don't need you to tell me what I can and can't do!" Lily shot.

"Well you don't snog somebody you don't know!"

"Wow, what a theory!" She threw her hands up in the air in exasperation.

"Hey, I just don't want you to get hurt. Jeff can do some pretty heartless things."

"Right James, right. You're the one who introduced me to him in the first place!"

"Yeah? Well….so what?"

"I win." She declared. "And for the record, I'm going on a date with him tomorrow night. "

"WHAT? ARE YOU CPOMPLETLEY CRAZY?"

"Why are you freaking out?" She seemed about to rip her hair out in frustration.

"I already told you, you don't even know him!"

"When has that stopped you?"

"This isn't about me, it's about you!

"Whatever!"

"Shut up!"

"No, you shut up." Lily ended lamely.

The good insults had been gone before they started, but it was just now that they were realizing it. They both stood, in silence with a cold stubbornness shooting in-between them, waiting for the other to buckle under the pressure. Meanwhile, Leah and Remus stood impatiently to the side, sending each other frustrated glances whenever a conversation starter was attempted but not followed up.

Now, only a few things could end a Lily and James stubborn competition. Either they both completely forgot, somebody broke it up, and in the case that nobody was around to distract nor break it up, some kind of natural disaster would have to ensue. A good deal of the time it was somebody who broke them up, and in this case, it happened to be Sirius.

He came, sprinting desperately to his friends, with a look of utter despair upon his face, "Help me guys, please!" He panted.

Curious of his uncharacteristic begging, Lily inquired, "What happened?"

"That girl over there won't stop following me!" He cried, "Leah, come pretend to be my girlfriend."

"But then I have to leave Remus!" She protested.

"Come, NOW! Or she's going to rip my balls off!"

"Wouldn't want that," Leah rolled her eyes and reluctantly let Sirius pull her aside.

"Sorry Remus," she called back, "dance with Lils or something."

Remus grumbled loudly, trying to vex Lily a little more. Lily smirked at him and said mockingly, "Ha, ha, ha. It's not like I'm going to give you cooties or anything."

"Don't worry, I have my cootie shot," Remus teased.

"What about me?" Cried a forgotten James left alone standing in the corner.

"What about you?" Lily retorted.

"Now, now, Lily." Remus lectured, "Don't get all snappy. Look, he can dance with me afterwards." He said with a grin.

Lily laughed, "I'm sure he's desperate enough."

James heard all this, as they didn't exactly attempt to keep it a secret, and he grumbled loudly and stomped away- to find Mary or something.

"What a dumbass." Lily said, still grinning in her laughter.

"You two have the weirdest relationship."

Not knowing what to say, she shrugged.

"One moment you're at each other's throats and the next you're…" he stopped, thought about the words he was about to say, and replaced them with, "well, not."

"It's confusing."

"I'm sure it is. You're ripping him apart, you know that right?" Remus said, giving a small shake of the head.

"Of course, I'm horrible to everyone." Lily said lightly.

"No, I mean really. You should've seen James before you and him became friends."

"Was he different?" She asked, intrigued by the sudden change of subject.

Remus collected the appropriate words, "Well, no. He's always been the same James. It's just he was your typical jock head, smart, perfect in everyway. To everyone else anyway. In a way, he still is, but have you noticed when was the last time he hung out with the slutty girls and other jock-faced boys that weren't Sirius? You stole his glances, diverted his interest. Now the real James I've known since forever is the one people are really starting to meet"."

For some time, Lily didn't say anything. Then, still not finding the right words to say anything, she just asked meekly, "Is that bad?"

"No."

"But then what are you trying to tell me?" Sometimes Remus had that mysterious way of making you feel like he knew so much more than everyone else. It was almost like Dumbledore's knowing eyes, but not quite as freaky.

"What do you think I'm trying to tell you?"

"I don't know!"

"Take whatever you make of it. I just thought you should know, he's ripping himself apart trying decide what he wants-"

"What?"

"-and what he thinks. He doesn't know either."

"I'm sorry?" Lily tired, but she had a feeling Remus wasn't listening.

"Go easy on him, will you?" Remus finally looked at her, with a soft tone of voice that made her drop her jaw and stare, baffled at him. "Now if you don't mind," he began, snapping back into his normal state, "I'd rather like to find Leah."

Before Lily had a chance to comment on his previous comments, Remus steered towards James, and Lily began to protest wildly. Ignoring her completely, Remus called out, "Oy James, take Lily?"

Remus didn't wait for James to answer, and Mary was whisked away from him and Lily was thrown at him. He reluctantly received her, as there was really nothing else he could do. They were both shocked stiff, and at first neither made any moves nor said anything.

James looked over his shoulder to see where Mary was, and seeing she was dancing rather glumly with Sirius (and a good deal way from them too), he sighed and grabbed Lily around the waist.

At first, completely forgetting she was in dance floor and was supposed to _dance_, she practically gasped in shock upon feeling his hands on her back. James nervously began to take little steps that could possibly be considered dancing, pulling Lily with him. Sensing there was no way out, she too began taking small strides, and snaked her arms around his neck. They danced stiffly, almost separately, for a few awkward moments. Lily's arm began to tingle, and with a nervous blush she realized her arm was almost falling asleep, and readjusted both her arms so that it was wrapped around his neck more comfortably. Coincidentally, this involved getting closer to him, which she did, trying to pass it off subtly, and failing. James noticed her suddenly pulling closer and almost tripped over his feet, it was his turn to be shocked. Lily practically gave out a giggle at his reaction, but she kept it in with a tight bite of her lip. Now Lily could hear his rhythmic breathing, could feel his warmth traveling up through her body, but neither made the move to stop it. The music went on, this time almost like a lulling scent, whispering in their ear and sending shivers down their spines. The grudge was forgotten now, the awkwardness slipped off their backs, now it was only this. Twirling, everything became a blur, the diamonds and jewels glinting above the swirls of pastel colored gowns.

* * *

I know, I know, I suck for not updating. But if you do remember, I said in my last update that I'd be gone till forever, and I didn't come back till the 20th…and from then on I'll take full blame on all the days I didn't update! I actually wrote about five more pages to this chapter but then I realized that 19 pages were a bit too much, so I had to stop further up and slowly wind it down. So, what did you guys think? Oh, we've reached a turning point! Also, we got a glimpse of the cynical Sirius…oh…scary.

Something else I must say because everyone is begging it to happen soon…but it won't be happening. sigh. I have to admit, James will not ever so conveniently skip from Mary onto Lily. What you can expect to see though is hopeless flirting and then…..dun dun dun dun…..FIGHTS! And then…dun dun dun…DRAMA! And then…dun dun dun…STUBORNNESS! Of course, with a bunch of crap in between, but yeah.

Hmm…lets see…I'm not quite sure what there is to say, so I'll go straight into reviews. Thank you masses to:** Elspeth Renee, Telwyn Dubois, Flame Of Desire, sporty12gd4u, anamika29, Crimson Girl, le manchot du destin, LillyEvans13, mello80, 0065, SK8NBabe15, Brittany, Len (tehee, thanks), the queen of whatever, slippersRfuzzy, Jackster222, Katkit, secludeddark, Natalia Potter Wood, Lily20, Mischif-Managed, Brinneybit, mew, kate, goofygal89, xxHopeless-Romanticxx,**

aaaaaaaaand

**Lily(**anonymous)- Thanks! I'm glad you like the story. When I started the fic I was 12 but now I'm 13. Yeah, not that much older, but whatever

**Barbara Chow Chang**- I didn't email you. Your email isn't even on your profile….Plus, my new fic, called Harry Potter and the Boxers of Steel is going to kick _your_ mafia prince's ass!

**PinkPanther**- I'm happy you like it so much! I'm also glad you like the way I did Lily, because at first I wasn't quite sure about it. But I got sick of her always being studious and shy, so I did her differently here.

**TimeOfTheChelz**- Oh! It's not the end of the story! Don't worry, hell, there's plenty more to go. I made you cry? Did I really? Aww! (I hope that's not bad). Thanks a ton for reviewing.

**shortie522**- Long live DDR! Glad to know I'm not the only one who's obsessed. As for your suggestion, thank you very much for it, and I'll see if I can somehow use it. Sadly, I'm not even half way through the drama….Thanks

**Nikki101**- DDR ALL THE WAY! Haha. Anyway, yeah, throughout this whole chapter I was attempting to find a place to sneak in a girlfriend for Sirius, but I either kept forgetting or there was no appropriate place. Well, eventually old Sirius will grow up and I'll give him a girlfriend….thanks for reviewing .

**And yes I do drink tea**- DDR is this awesome dancing game! You have not lived until you've played it! (Ignore me, this is biased.) Anyway, I'm going to go check out your chappie cuz I'm sure it's wonderful. And I'd never be able to steal any plotlines, probably because I'd die from guilt, or just not be able to process it in my brain. I'm not too good at that. As for James being more stubborn, I probably should have come to think of it. But that's okay, I'll make him extra stubborn next time it's appropriate. Hehe, my friend turned orange from eating way too many carrots, it'd be funny if you turned another color from drinking too much tea. (Tehee). Thanks for le wonderful review!

**its a spoon**- Of course I read what everyone says! I gobble it up. It's my inspiration. It's my food. Tehee Thank you muchly for reviewing.

**Cilverblood**- Thanks, I'll go check out some of those names. About half I already have read, but the rest I haven't, so thanks!

**Evahyoung**- It's sort of confusing with James saying he likes Lily and then thinks he loves Mary, but I think it's possible. Sometimes people have this whole massive drama explosion because they claim they're in love with two people or something…so yeah. Thanks for reviewing!

**Justdreem-** I take absolutely no offence in people calling Mary a bitch, because that's exactly what she was supposed to be! I'm glad people hate her Thanks for reviewing.

**SiriusProtege**- Haha, thanks for the insight on the tea! So far from all the info I've gathered (heh, it's like a study) most Brits drink tea, but there are a good bunch who don't? Hmmm….this is confusing. Thanks for reviewing! And I forgot completely about the quills, so thanks for reminding me.


	26. Hot Animal, well, You Know

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: Yo, I be an avid Harry Potter fan, but I don't own nothing, no, not a cent! I just own my crazy whacked up mind, and a few copper pennies, yeah! spirit fingers J.K. ROWLING BE DA woMAN!

* * *

_

_Previously_

_Now Lily could hear his rhythmic breathing, could feel his warmth traveling up through her body, but neither made the move to stop it. The music went on, this time almost like a lulling scent, whispering in their ear and sending shivers down their spines. The grudge was forgotten now, the awkwardness slipped off their backs, now it was only this. Twirling, everything became a blur, the diamonds and jewels glinting above the swirls of pastel colored gowns.

* * *

_

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Hot Animal…Well, You Know ;)**

If only. If only she had gotten to him before Mary had, if only Mary had just gone away after the second week, like all those other girls had. If only she hadn't been so stubborn all her life and looked at him, really looked at him, things might be different now. Oh, she could only dream, as she was standing there, dancing there so close, yet labeled 'Friends, and friends ONLY.' It was a soft, gentle, perfect song for those who wanted to dance, bonded tightly by the melody, with their significant other in front of them. But he was not her significant other, nor did she ever think he would become anything past a good friend. God forbid that thought, please let her grim prediction be wrong! Those lips were so kissable, his face so endearing that tying to contain herself was actually ripping _her_ apart! Damn Mary, if only she'd be pushed off a cliff.

Lily finally lifted her head from its comfortable position near his chest. Glancing around at her surroundings, she realized they'd danced themselves to the corner of the room. James looked up too, and their eyes both fell on the figure of girl, looking over their way with a hawk like glance. As the brown hair waved through the air as somebody twirled her (probably Sirius), they both instantly knew it was Mary. She never did go away, did she?

They stopped dancing, standing there, both realizing the reason both felt an empty hole through the stomach, and why both kept shivering even though it as warm inside. Whether or not they were going to admit it to each other, or anyone else for that matter, they both knew it was there, and they were not alone in the feeling. Even though they had stopped dancing, they were still with there arms wrapped around each other. Neither wanted to break apart, but they knew that if they didn't soon, something that they'd regret would pop up later. So James let his hands fall from his sides, and Lily followed suit and dropped her hands off his neck.

It was the silence that took place after this that was the awkward part, the part nobody wanted to go through because it meant facing reality. Nothing would ever be the same: for better or for worse, that part was unknown. They would never be able to just "hang out" with each other without having bittersweet thoughts traveling through their minds. They would never be able to think of each other as just good friends, no matter how much either tried to fake it. If the emotions that were obviously there were acted upon, the only possible results were disaster or… something completely amazing. Whether the amazing thing would last or not was another doubt, which made the light at the end of the tunnel seem dimmer and dimmer. Whether she chose to zip her lips and keep quiet, whether she ended up kissing him, and whether that led to the end of it or the beginning, one thing was clear; She'd never have the old James back.

Now realizing that this moment was not one that would be easily forgotten, she wished more than anything that she could find her voice. If it had been any other person she found herself strangely attracted to, maybe she'd have thrown a flirty smile or some comment or another, but the truth was she couldn't bring herself to utter even the smallest bit of sound, even if she found the right spell of words that would alleviate the troublesome silence.

"Well, I'll see you later then?" James asked, almost hopefully.

Lily still couldn't bring words to form on her lips, so she just gave a quick nod. James quickly fled, leaving Lily alone and more confused than she had ever been in her life. Suddenly, the loud music, happy and cheerful, was un-standable, and Lily, too, quickly fled from the unfitting surroundings and into the cool night. She returned to the bench where the friends had been seated earlier, except this time the sun had disappeared completely, leaving a path of stars behind, twinkling with all their brilliant mockery.

If you've ever looked at old pictures and stared at the photos wistfully and wondered where the time has gone, maybe you'll understand that melancholy feeling Lily was getting at the pit of her stomach as she stared off blankly to the sky. Personally, she missed when getting dressed had nothing to do with James Potter! Lily longed for the days where she could flirt with him and not wonder what it meant, or even better, when she could yell at him and have it be normal nor damaging! Now, however, she found herself wearing the shirts that James liked best, or hoping that James would throw her a flirty comment that she could easily return. Going back to those long-wanted days was impossible, the only way she could go was forward, and she wasn't sure if she was happy about that.

Footsteps behind Lily startled her, but she could tell from the foot pattern that it was Leah, so she didn't make any sudden move to run or clean up her murky act. Leah sat down next to Lily, and for a moment they let the silence lay between them. Finally, Lily spilled.

"I hate him."

"No you don't." Leah told her, knowing exactly who 'him' was referring to, "That has got to be one of the biggest lies you have ever said!"

"I hate how nothing is the same anymore."

"Explain."

"I miss when James Potter was my number one enemy, where my only friends were you and Remus."

"I don't think so. Try again."

Lily hesitated, not wanting to say it, because once you say it, it makes it so much more real. "I'm scared." Lily finally sighed, "I don't want to lose the friendship I have with James, but dear God I'm going crazy here!"

"What happened to trying to get over him?"

"It's not working."

"I didn't think it would. Do you think it's a risk worth taking?"

"Maybe."

"Do you think he likes you? "

"I know he does, but how much I'm not sure." She sighed, "I think for him it's just a dumb crush he'll get over soon."

"And for you it's not?" Leah asked. Leah knew all these answers, of course, and it seemed liked Lily had them somewhere, Leah just had to get them sorted out for Lily to see.

"No," Lily grumbled, putting her head in her hands, "It's not. I don't think it is. I don't know!"

"Do you like him more than any other guy you've dated?"

"Yes, I know that for sure…which is weird, because I really really liked some of the guys."

"Loved them?"

"Possibly. It might have eventually developed into that, but with school and all we didn't get the chance."

"Alright, now, if you like James more than some of those guys you said you almost loved, does that mean you love James?"

"As a friend, of course, but otherwise, I'm not sure. It's too soon to tell."

"Do you think James likes you enough to dump Mary?"

"Yes." She said confidently.

"Do you think he will then?"

"No."

"Why?" Leah asked curiously.

"Because he's stubborn, he'll have been proved wrong about loving Mary, and plus, I don't think Mary is even considering letting him go."

So Lily had figured some things out. Good, that made Leah's job a thousand times easier.

"How about we go inside, okay? Get a drink or something and hang out in the rooms upstairs?" Leah suggested, putting an arm protectively over Lily. Whenever it came to Lily's love life, Leah always felt like the older sister, seeing as she had had so much more experience in the area.

"I don't want to see James!" Lily said nervously.

"Fine, we'll stay out a little longer, I don't want to go in anyway." Leah admitted.

"Why?"

"It makes me nervous."

Lily slapped herself mentally for being so selfish. Her best friend had just gone through rape and Lily was worried about her non-existent love life! How selfish could she be?

"You've done a great job keeping your sanity, what's the sudden change?"

"There's been no change. Even when Remus' touches me I flinch. He pretends he doesn't notice but it's obvious he does."

"It's expected, don't worry about it."

"Yeah, I know, I just feel kind of bad." Leah sighed. "Remus has been amazing to me, he actually notices when I feel uneasy and sort of dances off to a less crowded corner or offers to sit down."

Although Leah said this unintentionally, it made Lily feel even guiltier of overlooking her problems.

"Remus is great." Lily agreed. "But in general, how do you think you're keeping up in the crowded room."

"Actually, I'm surprised I'm still alive. Even when I bump into anybody it makes me feel so…" Leah shivered and trailed off.

Putting a hand on her shoulder, Lily said comfortingly, "Seriously, you're doing way better than anyone expected you to. I thought you wouldn't even come to the ball, and if you did, you'd be wearing long pants. Don't push yourself, nobody is rushing you."

"I know, but I want so much to get my life back to normal! I miss walking down the street and not feeling like a dirty piece of shit."

"Which you are NOT," Lily said firmly.

Leah only smiled, "Lils, if it wasn't for you, I'd still be back in the hospital and probably never make it out." She chuckled a little.

"If it wasn't for me you wouldn't be there in the first place…"Lily mumbled guiltily.

"Don't say that!" Leah hissed strictly.

Lily sighed, "I can't help but feeling that way sometimes."

"It's not your fault, you never made Voldemort such an asshole."

"I provoked him." Lily retorted.

"How?" She challenged. "By being who you are? I don't think so. Voldemort is an ass because…well, because of personal problems that are probably too twisted to even say, so we'll just leave it at this; it's not your fault, it's not my fault, it's nobodies fault but his."

Lily tugged up a small smile, "Alright, you win this time."

After a few moments, Leah said, "Okay, I think I've sucked up enough courage to go back inside."

"You sure? I'll wait out here until you're ready, if you're not."

"I'm ready."

"Alright, alright, then you can hurry up to the rooms and I'll get us some drinks." Lily offered.

"No, I'll get them."

"No, _I'll_ get them."

"Really, let me get them." Leah said firmly.

Sensing she had a reason, Lily gave in to her pleading and let Leah go get the drinks. As they opened the door back into the ball, the sudden blast of music and chatter hit them unexpectedly. It was like they had forgotten that it was going on in the first place. With a reassuring glance, they went their separate ways. Not wanting to be spotted by James or the hawkish Mary, she scurried up the stairs into the second floor rooms.

Curiously enough, it was completely empty when Lily opened the door. The only sound in the room was a soft, elevator music sifting around the room. Awkwardly, Lily sat herself on one of the chairs and waited for Leah to arrive. Leah finally did arrive, two drinks in her hands and Sirius and Remus trailing behind.

"I found them along the way, they couldn't stand the boredom either." Leah signaled behind her.

"Hello there Lilikins." Sirius greeted.

"Hi Lily," Remus said after rolling his eyes at Sirius.

They all sat down, and as soon as they hit the sofas, they were instantly absorbed in a quick conversation of one subject or another. Like most of their subjects, it was probably dumb, and in a course of two minutes changed from one thing to the next. Time flew quickly that way without any disturbances, so much so that when they heard a feeble knock on the door, they had completely forgotten where they were (which seemed to be happening a lot).

The knock was followed by James' head peeked in, and upon seeing them, gave a long sigh of relief.

"I've been looking for you guys everywhere!" His eyes traveled over everyone who was there, pausing a few moments on Lily before moving on

"We're here." Said Remus.

"Is the ball over?" Lily asked hopefully, surprising everyone there by speaking.

James didn't answer for a moment from shock. Then remembering he was being asked something, said, "Uh, yeah, the last people are leaving. I can't believe you guys left me there alone!" James walked into the room and stood, leaning against the door.

"Finally. No offence mate, but they're really long and boring when you're under forty." Sirius admitted before shooting up. The rest followed suit, and James lead them out the door.

The last time they had seen the ballroom it was completely full, every square inch was covered with gowns and jewels. Now it was empty, except for the inhibitors of the manor and the helpful maids who were running around trying to sort out and put things away.

After sharing good nights, thank you's and goodbyes to James' parents, the five headed over to the rooms, the sudden lack of people made them realize exactly how much energy they had drained out and exactly how much they really needed to sleep.

The whole way there James and Lily hardly spoke a word, it was always saying general comments to the group. It wasn't until everyone was brushing their teeth and putting their pajamas on that Lily and James faced each other (quite unwillingly) after their awkward moment a while back. Everyone except for them two were still getting ready for bed, probably taking so long on purpose. Damn them, Lily thought. So, she sat at the edge of the couch and looked off into space, trying to ignore James on the other end clearly staring at her.

Sometimes James wondered what the hell he was doing with Mary, as if he had woken up from a dream and speculated what it was all about. After this he'd go around for a day or so considering breaking up with her. Then Mary would be alone with him, and for some reason or another she'd give a hearty laugh- a real laugh, not one of those fake ones she always used, one where she really laughed her heart out and made James laugh himself, just by hearing it. When this laughter would seep through Mary's plastic barriers, James was reminded that there really was something that he loved about her- the real her, something that always kept him coming back even when he had his own doubts. And then, to add to that, he thought of the consequences of being with Lily, which was the only reason he could think of breaking up with Mary. First off, nobody would ever shut up about how they were right and James was wrong about him not loving Mary or some shit like that. Second, it probably wouldn't last, and one of his best relationships would dwindle and fall uselessly in the garbage, which seemed to be one of the worst things that could happen. For that reason, he almost wanted an excuse not to like Lily, to avoid the thought of being together because in his opinion it would only end in disaster. Third, he wasn't even sure if he liked her enough to go out with her, after all, he was never really too good at summarizing up his emotions, even if it was to himself. So James settled on going with the flow, see where things would take him, and act only if it was the right time.

Now James focused on Lily, who was looking innocently off into nowhere. James had the sudden urge to sit next to her and…well, detail he wouldn't go into. Lily obviously sensed him watching her and finally she turned to look at him. Instead of looking away guiltily, James darling kept his strong watch and broke into a large, playful grin. Lily mocked a wide smile back, and it was then that the tension shattered, so easily, and it amazingly fell back into shameless flirting, except this time, every implication meant a thousand things more.

It was eight o'clock the next day and Lily was searching her closet frantically for some clothes. Leah was sitting on her bed eating some Chocolate Frogs, ignoring her best friend's hysterics.

"Leah, I don't know what to wear!" Lily whined.

"Stop whining, it's not a big deal."

"It's a date, of course it matters!"

Leah sighed and reluctantly offered, "Okay, how about that silver shirt with your favorite jeans."

"My favorite jeans are all torn up!"

"So?"

Lily grinned, "I guess."

Slipping into the jeans and the shirt, she glanced in the mirror and nodded approvingly, "It's fine, I think."

"You're good," Leah accepted.

"Good. James is sort of pissed about me going out with Jeff."

"I'd be too."

"It's not like Jeff's my boyfriend, I'm just trying it out. If it works, great, if it doesn't, that's fine too."

"Do you even like Jeff?"

"Attracted to, yeah, but he's nothing compared to James, if that's what you mean."

"Then why are you even trying?"

"I'll never know what I missed if I don't."

Unable to retort to that, Leah sighed, "Alright. You win. You should probably be going now though, Jeff should be here any time now."

Jeff arrived almost exactly on time; Lily was waiting downstairs next to the door when he came. He gave her a quick hug as a greeting, and escorted her to his car. Jeff was a gentleman; he opened the car door for her and simple things like that. They chatted on the way to the restaurant (an Italian restaurant, they had agreed). The restaurant was somewhere in-between fancy and casual, which was a little above her ripped jeans, but at least she hadn't come in a dress, like she had been considering. Inside, a waiter escorted them to a nice little table near the corner of a room and took their orders (pasta for both of them).

From then on the date went efficiently, conversation was fluent and smooth, yet…missing something, it felt like the most important thing. Jeff wasn't funny. Okay, that might not seem that important, and Jeff _could_ take a joke, but that was maybe the main thing that was different between James and Jeff (among many other details). Maybe that's why it didn't seem right, it wasn't James.

It was halfway though the meal when Lily realized that her attraction to Jeff had dwindled away, and was now completely non-existent. Jeff was nice, sure, but as a friend and nothing more. He was fun to talk to, but there wasn't any spark, no chemistry between them, and without that they wouldn't be able to go any further. At first Lily was nervous about disappointing him, after Jeff took her out to a nice dinner and everything, but she soon noticed that he didn't seem all that enthusiastic about her either.

Their conversation reached a dead end, and it was clear to Lily what they were both thinking about how to break it to the other. Lily was about to take the daring move when Jeff too opened his mouth at the same time.

"I-" They both said in unison.

Lily chuckled, "Go ahead."

Slowly, Jeff tried to string his words together in a fashionable manner, "Look Lily, you're a nice girl and everything, but…"

Lily wanted to let him finish his sentence, but he had struck a dead end and left it hanging. She decided to be nice and help him out.

"I know what you're trying to say, and don't worry about it. It's just not…right."

Jeff let out a long sigh of relief, "Good then. I'm so glad you didn't take that the wrong way. Friends?"

"Friends."

They shook hands over the table.

"I'm glad you're okay with it." Jeff admitted.

"I'm fine, plus, I was about to say the same thing. We don't click that way."

"Yeah, if only you knew." He snorted.

"If I knew what?"

For a moment he looked panic stricken, "Nothing." He said too quickly.

"It's just friends now, we're not on a date anymore, I won't run out on you or anything." She consoled.

"No…"

"Why not?"

"Never minds. It's nothing."

"I know when people are lying. You're lying!"

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are!"

"Really, it's nothing!" He protested hysterically.

"Please? Please? I won't tell anyone!" She pleaded.

He sucked in a large gust of air. "Swear?"

"Yes!"

"I have no idea why I'm going to tell you this…" He hesitated, "Okay, really, the only reason I asked you out was to prove to my parent's that I'm not…"

"…not what?"

"See, I'm not really…"

"Really…"

"-attracted to…"

"Girls?"

"Yeah." He gave a depressed sighed.

"Oh."

Well, that wasn't exactly the kind of answer she'd expected.

"Sorry."

"No problem. It's just that's the kind of excuse people would usually make to get out of my grip." She said slowly, recovering from the initial shock.

Jeff laughed nervously at the comment, it was a long laughter of relief, releasing all the stress he'd been carrying on his shoulders.

"So you're…gay?"

"Don't tell anyone."

"I won't. Does James know?"

"I think he has an idea."

"Oh. Alright."

"Is it weird for you?"

"Not one bit. I'm just trying to think if I've ever kissed anybody who hasn't been attracted to my gender..,"

"Have you?"

"Nope."

"Oh, okay."

Lily could tell that he deeply regretted telling her, which was not something that she wanted him to feel after spilling a huge secret. It was obvious that Jeff was expecting the name calling to begin, the pointing and laughing to start, and the ridiculing for something that he was so strongly tied to, and Lily wondered how many times he had to endure the criticism and rejection for who he was. Lily had never seen the major difference, in the end, love is love, isn't it?

Resolving to make him feel more comfortable and less like an animal under an experiment, she stuck up conversation casually.

"Are you going to tell your parents?

"I guess so, I've waited about four years too long."

"I don't blame you. Must be hard."

"It is." He sighed.

Then suddenly, he asked, "So, who do you like?"

Good, so he was striving to keep a form of friendship alive.

Lily laughed, "Why do you think I like somebody?"

"I know these kinds of things." He smirked.

At first Lily wasn't sure if she should tell, but then remembering what a huge secret he had trusted her with, decided to spill this one tiny thing.

"Alright, fine." She gave in. "James."

"Potter?"

"Yeah."

"Not much of a surprise, honestly." He admitted.

"What do you mean?" Lily asked, shocked.

"Well, not only do you flirt incessantly, but I saw you two dancing. You might as well have told everyone, it's obvious."

"Shit." Lily groaned, putting her head in her hands.

"Why are you so freaked?"

"He's got a girlfriend."

"Oh right, Mary. Why does he stick with her?"

"Stuborn jerk."

"I thought you liked him!"

"I do. A lot." She sighed.

Jeff just gave her a knowing smile, "I see."

"Who do you like?" Lily teased.

When Jeff didn't answer immediately, Lily pressed onwards, "You do like somebody! Who?"

"You don't know him."

"Damn. He lives in Italy then?"

"Yeah, his name is Kacey."

"Very cool, what's he like?"

"Well…"

The date stretched onward until eleven o'clock, they spent three whole hours talking nonsense. Although it was definite that Lily did not like him as anything more than a friend, he was certainly somebody to keep in touch with. They had tons of things in common and having a guy that she could talk to about, well, guys, was something she was pretty sure she would find helpful during one point or another. They drove home, and once departing at the door, exchanged a quick hug and good-byes, with a promise to write. Lily entered the warm home happily, hanging her coat on the coat hanger before trotting up to her room. By now she knew the area incredibly well, or at least the area towards her room. In minutes, she was up in the bedrooms.

First, she knocked on Leah's door. When nobody answered, she opened the door to find Leah gone. Lily sighed and knocked on Remus' door, but nobody was inside. She knocked on Sirius', but his room too held nobody inside. Lily groaned out loud, they were probably all conveniently tracking down all of Leah's belongings (she was probably packing, seeing as she was leaving early tomorrow) at the same time so she'd be forced to go to James first. Sighing, Lily walked over to James' door and gave a feeble knock.

"Yeah?"

Lily opened the door and peeked her head through, "It's me."

"Oh." James said, looking over his shoulder at her, "It's you."

Lily rolled her eyes and stepped in, "Come on, why are you mad at me?"

James was sitting on his bed, reading one of the books he got from Lily for Christmas. Lily almost pointed it out, but he interrupted that train of thought.

"Oh, nothing." He put the book down. "How was your date?" He asked bitterly.

For a moment Lily thought, "date?" and then remembered that nobody knew about Jeff.

She broke into a large grin and hopped on the bed, "Great! It was so fun, Jeff is such a great guy!"

All right, judging by the look on James' face, that wasn't exactly the best thing to say. "Aha."

"James-"

"So, how much time did you spend snogging?"

"James! Stop it!" Lily said angrily.

"What? It seems like you and Jeff are snogging buddies, why can't I ask that?"

"Because-"

"You're such a hypocrite, Lily, going out and telling me I can't snog random girls and then go and snog random guys!"

"First of all, he's not random. Second of all, I didn't-"

"Of course he's random, you snogged him five minutes after you met him!"

"James, you are overreacting! Get a grip!"

"I'm not overreacting!"

"Yes you are, so shut the hell up!"

Lily, despite of herself, gave him a little shove. Then James, instinctively pushed her back, and soon they were attempting to throw each other down on the floor.

"Stop being such a jealous ass!"

"Stop being a hypocritical slut!"

He hadn't meant that, he really hadn't meant that.

James stopped and his eyes softened, but Lily got stone cold. She lunged on him like a cat, grabbing him by the shoulders and pushing him on the floor. James grabbed her extended arm and pulled her forward, she too falling down on the floor with a hard plump.

Lily turned around and lunged on his back as he was trying to get up, resulting with him flat as a pancake on the floor while Lily was yelling random insults into his ear.

That moment Leah came striding in, perfectly calm and casual. Because of Lily's luck, she was probably saying something like 'fuck!'.

"Has anybody seen my…oh." She blinked, freezing. "Okay, I'll be going now."

As quickly as she came in she exited, leaving the two panting and bewildered. Stupid, stupid, stupid…

Lily rolled off his back and fell, face up, panting. James too rolled over, and at first, nobody said anything, regaining their breath.

With one last feeble attempt to win the battle, James shot half-heatedly, "I bet you shagged him too."

"I didn't. He's gay."

Finally! _Point across!_

James was silent for a long while. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh." She grumbled.

"…Are you disappointed?"

"No. I didn't like him like that."

Again, he said, "Oh." But this time, it was more like a happy 'oh'.

"I'm sorry I called you a slut then."

"I'm sorry I called you a jealous bastard."

"I'm sorry I hurt you."

"I'm sorry I hurt you too."

"Kiss my shoulder." Lily ordered.

"Why?"

"Because I have a rug burn there."

"Okay." James sat up and gave her a quick kiss on the shoulder. "All better?"

"All better." Her voice was almost shaky. That kiss was a little too close to her neck for sanity.

"Anything else I can do?"

"I'm good."

"Sure?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Really."

"In that case why don't you go find Leah and explain to he that we were _not_ having hot animal sex on the floor."

Lily slapped his arm lightly before standing up. "I think I will actually, she looked a bit surprised."

"Why'd you slap me then?" James cried.

"I'm sorry." She gave him a quick kiss on the arm, "Better?"

"Yeah." James said absently.

"Good, I'm going to go find Leah. I hope she hasn't run too far away."

Luckily enough, Leah was in her room, mounding all of her possessions into her suitcase. Lily walked in, and Leah looked up and laughed.

"You two looked like you were having fun."

"We were fighting!" Lily hissed, closing the door behind her.

"Sure."

"Seriously! He was all pissy and crap so I shoved him and then we ended up getting into a fight."

"Mhmm. It looked like hot animal sex to me."

"Gross!" Lily screeched and threw the nearest piece of clothing at her.

Leah laughed, "Alright, fine, I believe you. How was your date?"

"Fine, it turns out Jeff didn't like me." Lily said.

Leah stopped what she was doing, "Aw, hun, I'm sorry!"

"It's okay, actually, it turns out he doesn't like girls period."

"Oh."

"But he's great, we're keeping in touch when he goes back to Italy."

"That's good. Never hurts to have lots of friends."

Hesitating slightly, Lily suddenly said, "I don't want you to leave."

Leah looked up, curious. "Now, I know that, but why the random outburst?"

"Because, I just realized that for the next month or so I'm not going to have anybody to rant to about James or assholes or anything like that!"

"You can always write me."

"It won't be the same."

Leah sighed, "I know." She stood up and gave Lily a strong hug.

"But do write okay?" Leah said softly, still in an embrace.

"Of course."

They let each other go, and Lily chuckled, "You're not going until tomorrow, why are we worrying?"

Leah, looking down, sat back on the floor and said softly, "Because tomorrow comes too soon."

* * *

This chapter seemed really short, lots of dialouge.

Ahhhhhhh! My reviewers be da shizzle, the cherry on top of a sundae ice cream! I know I suck for being such a horrible updater, but hey, what can I say. I would personally thank each and everyone of you, but today I have to go to my friends house in like five minutes and won't be home until tomorrow, and if I keep putting it off I'm never going to update.

Frankly, this chapter sucks, but I had to post, I _had to!_ So yes, I hope nobody hates me because I made Jeff gay, and I know that whole fight scene between Lily and James wasn't all that believable, so please forgive me if I disappointed you.

And a bit of gloating…if I can…guess who won the prize for best story in her age division in her county! Yerp, me, and now I'm going to the finals. It makes me sound smart. But the story was crappy, I can't believe it won. Ha.

Anyway, constructcful criticism is more than welcome, tell me how much you loved it, hated it, etc, etc, just review!

Thanks, mucho loveto anyone who reads this.

Ah…and one last thing, if you're name starts with And yes I do and ends with drink tea, I'll be waiting for you to put your story up. And if anyone has a story they wrote that they think I'd like, don't hesitate to drop it by…I have no life, I'll read it.

Okay, okay, goodbye!


	27. Happy Freakin' New Years!

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: It's JK's. I have nothing clever to say._

_

* * *

Previously _

_"But do write okay?" Leah said softly, still in an embrace._

_"Of course."_

_They let each other go, and Lily chuckled, "You're not going until tomorrow, why are we worrying?"_

_Leah, looking down, sat back on the floor and said softly, "Because tomorrow comes too soon."

* * *

_

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Happy Freakin' New Years!**

The next morning was that morning where you woke up but wanted oh so much to fall back asleep, where you didn't want to leave the warm comforts of your bed for anything, hoping that if you didn't get out of your bed nothing would change. But reluctantly everyone, especially Lily and Leah, got dressed silently, sending each other wistful looks knowing that this was the last moments together before once again they disappeared into two separate worlds, pen and paper the only link. Sirius and Remus, who left late last night, flooed to the Potter's early to bid Leah goodbye. It was eight o'clock by the time they were all dressed and semi-awake, milling by the door.

"Do you have everything?" Lily double-checked.

Leah thought for a moment, "Yeah, pretty sure. Make sure not to disappear, write me often okay?"

"Of course."

"The rest of you too," Leah announced to the rest of her friends. "It's really lonely all by myself, I need at least something to keep me occupied."

"I'll write to you about every detail of my oh-so-interesting life." Said James.

"And that'll be my daily dose of humor." Leah smirked.

"Hahaha!" James laughed sarcastically.

James' parents came in from the kitchen, Mrs. Potter carrying a brown bag in her hand. As she approached, she put the bag in Leah's hands and told her, "I packed you some lunch, I do hope you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. There's also some juice, an apple, some crackers, chips, and chocolate. I wanted to give you a selection."

"Thank you Mrs. Potter." Leah said politely.

"Oh, no, no, you're welcome! It's been simply a delight meeting you and having you stay here with us. Don't make yourself a stranger over the summer, okay?"

"I won't."

"That's a good girl, now, I would stay to make sure you're off just fine, but I have a very, very important meeting in the Ministry, so I'm going to have to be off early. It's been wonderful having you over." Mrs. Potter clasped Leah's hand affectionately, aware that a hug might be too overwhelming.

"Thank you very much for letting me stay, Mr. and Mrs. Potter."

"It was our pleasure," said Mr. Potter, "It's great seeing young faces around here!"

"I'll make sure to write you every now and then." Said Leah.

"Please do!"

"Goodbye Leah." Mr. Potter gave her a pat on the shoulder, and Mrs. Potter again with the hand-clasping.

"Goodbye."

They made their way towards the door, grabbing at their coats and shrugging them on. Then, remembering the rest of the kids, Hannah Potter called, "Oh, kids, we won't be home until ten, so you're going to have to fix yourselves some lunch."

"Alright mum." James called.

"Be good!"

"We will."

"Goodbye now!"

"Bye."

The door slammed shut. Leah gave a small laugh, "James, you're mom is so sweet."

"That's because you don't live with her." He said with a role of his eyes.

"But you're lucky to have such a nice mom," Lily chipped in.

He shrugged, "I guess."

"My mother's a dirty whore!"

"Sirius!"

"It's true!" He protested.

Lily rolled her eyes, "Whatever."

"Prongs, your mom is like partly all of our moms." Remus said.

Before James got to reply, the doorbell rang. They all made no move to get it. The doorbell rang again and they each looked around to the others asking who was going to be the one to open the door. Once again, the doorbell rang, and Leah was the one who stood up.

"I-I guess I'll go get that." Trembling slightly, she walked calmly over to the door and hauled it open. The familiar face of her doctor peeked inside.

"Leah!" Dr. Rodgers said pleasantly.

"Freddy!" This time he didn't protest at her using his first name as she gave him a hug.

"You look much better! I knew this would be good for you." He said encouragingly.

"Do I have to leave?" She complained.

"I'm afraid so." He said sadly.

"But I can handle it, really, I can!"

"You may want to think that, but there's still more things ahead."

"Please?" She begged.

He looked like he really wanted to give in, to make her happy, but he gave a feeble sigh and said, "No, I'm sorry."

Giving a sigh of defeat, she sulked over to her friends.

"Bye guys." She said softly.

They all sprang up and raced to be the first one to her. Sirius got there first and wrapped her up into a careful hug.

"I'll actually write more often this time." He promised.

"Thanks. I'll miss you." Leah said, returning the hug.

James gave her a hug as well, him too giving good-bye comments. Remus then came and swept her up, hugging her more tightly than anyone else, and somehow Leah managed to live through it, although you could tell she tensed up quite a bit.

"I love you." Remus whispered in her ear.

"I love you too. Write me twice a day, it physically hurts going days without any letters from you."

"I will, I promise." He kissed her forehead so gently you could hardly tell if his lips had actually touched her skin.

Leah regained her breath, "Alright, bye, I guess."

"Bye."

Reluctantly, they let go. Lily was next, and she gave Leah another hug, which she had been showering her with ever since the moment they woke up.

"Don't leave." Lily whined.

"I have to."

"No you don't. I won't let you."

"I wish." Leah said with a laugh in her voice.

"I don't need to tell you to write often, do I?"

"Nope."

"In that case, stay sane, eat lots, and get better soon."

"I'll do my best."

"I'll visit you."

"I'll come back to Hogwarts before the year is over."

"Promise?" Lily said, suddenly excited.

"Promise."

"Okay, that made me feel better. Bye, I'll miss you loads."

"Bye." Leah let go of Lily, finally, and she sort of drifted away to her luggage. She dragged it over to her doctor, who took the load off her hands.

"Bye everyone." She gave a feeble wave.

"Bye!" They all said in unison, standing right next to the door to see her out safely.

As Leah made her way down the steps and into the car, she waved behind her and they kept going into random exchanges of bye's and waves. Finally, the car door slammed shut and all they saw was her hand sticking out of the window, waving one last time before she rolled up the car window and brought her hand inside.

They stood there with the door open for what seemed like ages, until the car was only a dot in the hills and landscapes. They retreated back into the house reluctantly, shutting the door and finally blocking out the gusts of cold wind that had been seeping inside. It felt like Leah had been a ghost, after quitting their life for so long, the only trace of her existence one visit and countless letters, she appeared and brought back happiness, like the light at the end of the tunnel. However, now the light was gone and there was not but one trace of her existence except for their memories, and it seemed like she was in a completely different world, watching their lives go on as she sat in a room, alone.

The gloomyness was heavy, and Remus finally broke the silence by excusing himself, "I should probably leave now." He said, "I've got things to do at home."

They could all tell he just wanted some time to muse over Leah leaving, so they said nothing and just bade him goodbye. Sirius was the next to leave, giving the sad excuse that he needed to clean his house. What his motives were once he left Lily and James couldn't guess, but they gave him no trouble and just waved goodbye, although he looked oddly secretive.

Now Lily and James stood around in silence, looking around as if a topic of conversation would suddenly pop out to distract them. But now it was only them two, there were no other people to talk to, nobody else to be diverted with. Suddenly it was like it was when Leah hadn't yet arrive, but now feelings had been discovered and the meaning had been drastically changed.

Finally, James suggested, "Let's go upstairs?"

Lily shrugged and followed him, still slightly speechless. They raced upstairs wordlessly, arrived at the rooms, and quickly went into his. They milled over to the bed and plopped onto it, next to each other, and lay looking upwards at the ceiling in silence. James, as interesting as the ceiling might be, found the girl next to him just a tad more thought provoking. He lowered his eyes to Lily, saw her eyes were closed, and glanced further downwards. He couldn't help but notice the tiny bit of flesh that was exposed of her stomach, finding it almost attractive. Well, not almost attractive, pretty damn attractive…but whatever.

James gently lifted his hand and poked her exposed stomach, making Lily's eyes shoot open and a mischievous grin set onto her face. She turned her head to him, "What was that?"

"Oh, nothing, but you're stomach is horribly irresistible."

"I know, it's sexy."

"It is." James agreed. "Want to know what else is sexy?"

"What?"

"Me."

"I beg to differ."

"You're in denial, you know you love me."

"If I do it's only because you're filthy rich."

"Now, that's not very nice!" He said as he propped himself up with an elbow. "I complimented your stomach and you tell me you're just using me?"

"I guess that was pretty bitchy. How about this- James Potter, your stomach is horribly sexy and I want to make out with it."

James gave her a funny look, "Whoa there Lily, you didn't need to be that nice!"

She shrugged, "Saying 'you're stomach is horribly sexy' is too short, I don't like short sentences, so I made something up to add."

"You mean it's not true? You don't want to make out with my stomach?"

"No comment. "

"Was that a, 'Yes, I do want to make out with your stomach?'. Because that's what I'm going to take it as. And to return your compliment, I guess I can put up with making our with your stomach."

"You're not good enough for my stomach." She smirked, patting her stomach.

"You're right, will you be merciful though and let me think I have a chance with your stomach?"

"I guess. Only because I'm really, really nice."

"Thanks, you're really, really nice."

"I know."

They lay in silence for a moment before James looked over to her stomach once again. In one quick, fluid movement he sprang up and was about to blow a giant raspberry on her stomach when they heard a knock at the door.

Freezing, James called, "Who is it?"

"Surprise!"

No way. No way in hell. _No fucking way!_ Yes! It was Mary! That little _bitch_!

Lily, clearly disgusted and annoyed, looked over to James to see how he was reacting. Well, he wasn't pleasantly surprised, he looked more nervous than anything else.

"Mary!" He cried out, trying to hide his disappointment. "I'll be right there!"

Turning to Lily, he hissed, "Get out!"

"What? No!"

"Mary's going to think something happened!"

"Let her think whatever she wants, I'm not moving!"

"Fine, then at least get off the bed!"

"No." Lily said stubbornly.

Realizing they weren't going to get anywhere and that Lily would rather die than comply with his request, he gave a sigh and went to open the door. Lily quickly pulled up a magazine right before the door opened and "read it".

She pretended not to care when Mary came in and gave James a few seconds worth of a kiss. Instead of glaring at them, she turned her head down, again pretending like it wasn't a big deal at all. To Lily's disappointment, she wasn't as flippant as she would have liked to appear.

"What a nice surprise." James lied.

"I know, I thought I'd pop in for a quick hello, I can't stand being away from you such a long time." Then, pretending like she had just seen Lily, she said pleasantly, "Oh, hi Lily. How are you?"

Lily looked up from the Quiditch magazine that she had absolutely no interest in, "Good, thanks. How about you?"

"Great, now that I'm here! So, how did your date go?" Mary asked. How she had figured out, Lily wasn't sure. She suddenly realized the reason that Mary wasn't being as catty as usual; it was because she hoped that Lily had lost interest in James and gone after Jeff.

"It was okay." Lily shrugged, the answer clearly not being the one Mary wanted to hear.

"Oh, that's too bad." She did sound truly regretful- not because Lily had gone on a bad date, but that Lily wasn't going to be losing interest in James any time soon.

She shrugged, "It's okay, really." Lily flashed Mary a large smile.

Coughing, James spoke up, "So…what shall we do?"

"We, being who, exactly?" Mary asked.

"Umm…You, me, and Lily?"

"Count me out. I'll be at Sirius' flat." Lily suddenly stood up.

"Wait, why are you going?" James protested, following her as she walked towards the door.

Lily glanced at Mary, who was further down the room, watching intently. Grabbing his collar, she pulled James towards her and whispered, "I'm not going to allow myself to be tortured by her presence. You two have fun though. Call me for dinner."

With that, Lily let go and walked out the door, not even pausing for a second goodbye. James stood, with his mouth gaping, confused at whether Lily was angry or sad, jealous or happy, or just wanted to visit Sirius. Whatever the reason, James never concluded. The moment the door shut Mary came leaping at him, finally having the time alone she wanted.

"Shame she had to leave," she said quickly. "What shall we do?"

James looked around. He could have offered to read magazines, go swimming, adventure through the halls, or even go get some snacks…but he couldn't imagine doing any of those activities with Mary. Anything they did together had to be romantic or passionate, as if they were actors on a stage putting on a great tale of romance, trying to impress the audience. Those things were too normal, and Mary would sit around like a drag until he offered to do more of a date activity.

"Uh…we can go walk around the garden?" James offered.

"In this weather?"

"It's indoors."

Mary thought for a moment before giving an approving smile. "Alright," she said, extending her hand for James to take, "Let's go."

Lily walked forward quickly, with long strides of determination, firm on not letting her disappointment show. But, it wasn't just disappointment she was feeling, it was more of a helpless sadness. Well, whatever, she didn't know what it was and honestly she did not want to think about it. Quickly throwing the powder into the fireplace, she said, "Sirius' flat" and jumped in.

Floo traveling never was that comfortable for her, so once she was at Sirius' flat, she quickly stumbled out. Coughing, she dusted the ashes off of her pants as she stepped out.

Sirius' flat was completely Sirius, weird looking, over-stuffed furniture, very funky and different during the day, but Lily was sure that at night the place was dark and creepy.

Lily heard nothing, no Sirius singing (which is what he did on those rare instances that he did clean), no heavy footsteps. So she began to look around slowly, dragging her hands over the furniture, stopping to really look at all the portraits on the wall. She walked into his kitchen and as she dragged her hand along, it caught a box of cigarettes. Furrowing her eyebrows, Lily opened them to see how many were left. She gave a sigh of relief, seeing that only one was gone, which was probably the one he attempted to smoke outside with her. Still, she tossed the pack in the garbage, shaking her head as she did so.

Now giving a longer sigh, she walked a little faster out of the kitchen and into the living room. The living room had long couches, many chairs, a coffee table, and a fireplace. It was really quite sophisticated for Sirius, she had been half expecting a sheet of glass to be put on top of some cardboard box for a table.

That's when she heard the first sound that indicated that anybody was in this house. But actually…it was more like two people. In fact, it was a girl and a boy. Lily's eyes frantically swept the living room and landed her gaze on one of the couches. Ah, so she hadn't come at the greatest time…it seemed like Sirius was a bit busy with some blonde.

Chuckling to herself as the girl gave a lustrous sigh, she just rolled her eyes and walked back into the kitchen, finding herself without a place to go. She could either go back to the Potter's, where she wasn't welcome, or go to Remus', where he was probably brooding, or stay here. Deciding here was a better option than there she looked around the kitchen to find something to entertain herself with until Sirius was…done.

So she walked over to the sink, found a large stack of dirty plates, and put herself to wash them. It was a miracle that neither of the lovebirds heard her turn the water on. By the time Lily was done, she was drying off her hands with a paper towel when Sirius strode in.

His hair was a mess, but what can you really expect after making out? He looked like he had just woken up, his eyes were groggy and his step was stumbled. Sirius was looking down when he entered the kitchen, but when he looked around and saw Lily at the far end, his eyes went wide and he gave a little jump of surprise.

"Shit," he cursed under his breath.

"Oh hey Sirius, I was bored, didn't want to interrupt you, so I started doing the dishes. Your house is a _mess_!" She scolded.

"You are so weird." He said slowly.

Behind him, his lover strode in, looking a bit more composed than he. The moment she laid eyes on Lily she got a furious, betrayed look on her face.

"Sirius, who is this?" She demanded.

Lily's eyes went wide, "Don't worry, I'm not his girlfriend or anything. I'm just an annoying friend that has nowhere to go."

"What about James' house, _where you're staying?_"

"Mary invaded."

"Ah."

"Well, in that case, I'm Mariana." The girl introduced herself with a small smile. Lily took a moment to look at her. Mariana looked at least…what…two years older than they? Her blonde hair was as straight as a pin and came down past her chest. Feeling quite guilty, Lily had expecting a high pitched giggled, bubbly voice to come out. Instead it was sophisticated and intelligent. She had this exotic, adventurous aura about her that Lily was sure Sirius found very attractive.

"Hi, I'm Lily." She greeted.

"Hi Lily. Well, sorry I have to be gone so quickly, but I have to get to work. It's a pain in the ass, but hey, I have to pay the rent. Nice meeting you, in the two weeks we've been going out Sirius hardly talks about his friends, glad to know he really does have some."

Lily gave a little laugh as Marina gave Sirius a teasing glance.

It was obvious that Marina was off to work, as her attire consisted of nice pants and a modest white blouse. She put on her jacket and fished up her small back purse off the table before she walked over to Sirius and put her hands around his neck.

"Are we still on for tomorrow night?" She asked.

"Of course. Now get to work or your boss will have your neck." Sirius said, giving her a peck on the lips before letting her go.

"Alright then, I'll see ya later." She winked at Sirius as she made her way towards the fireplace. Then, she turned to Lily and said, "Bye Lily. I hope to see you again."

And with that, she jumped in the fire and disappeared.

The two's eyes lingered on the fire a few seconds after she was gone until Sirius gave a loud sigh and shoved his hands in his pockets.

He looked around, walked in an unsure ramble, trying to ignore Lily's smirk. Her arms were crossed and she was grinning at Sirius with her head tilted to the side a bit.

Finally Sirius looked up at her, "What? What do you want? STOP SMIRKING!"

"So, Sirius found himself a girlfriend?" She inquired, sitting down on one of the chairs.

"Yes," he said bitterly, "do you have a problem with that?"

"Of course not, but I just don't remember you mentioning her. And how long have you been dating, two weeks? Hmm…nope, you've never mentioned her."

"What, do I have to tell you guys about all my girlfriends?"

"I'd expect that you would for one you've been dating for _two weeks_."

"It's not serious or anything, all we do is snog."

"Well, you must like her to a large extent because, if I recall, the longest you go out with girls is for a week."

"Look, I was planning to dump her in a few days."

"Mhmm. I'm not telling you to break up with her, I'm just rather curious as to why you wanted to keep this a secret."

"There's no reason! I just did!" He cried stubbornly.

"Yeah right! No reason, my ass. Now, if you give me a good reason then I might just keep this little secret. Otherwise I'm obliged to tell the rest of the guys." She said, looking as if that would be very, very unfortunate.

"They'd make fun of me!" He whined.

"So that's what this is about, that they'd make fun of you?" Lily said with a large grin.

"No!" He said quickly, "It's not! It's just, I have a reputation to keep, I can't become Sirius-with-a-real-girlfriend! I'm a one-night-stand, snog and leave, kind of guy!"

"You're cruel."

"I might be cruel," he defended ,"but Sirius is a cruel hearted man! Otherwise I wouldn't be Sirius!"

Lily thought for a moment, "Don't take it as though I'm encouraging these crazy one night stand ramages, because I find it disgusting and cruel and horrible and demeaning and dumb and dangerous and-"

"I get it." Sirius interrupted impatiently.

"-but only because you have a 'real girlfriend' doesn't mean that you have to have one all the time."

Sirius was silent for a moment. Finally, he said, "Yeah, whatever."

Knowing that this was usually the answer when he was aware of his defeat, she let it drop.

"Well, what do you want to do?"

"You mean I'm stuck with you?"

"Well, I have nowhere else to go."

"Go somewhere else."

"Like where?"

Sirius began to walk away, "I don't know…the zoo? Go to the zoo."

"What kind of suggestion is that?" Lily cried, following him.

"One that will get you out of my flat."

"Why do you want me out so badly?" She pestered.

"Because I'm very, very tired and you're keeping me awake."

"Fine, so what do you expect me to do? Sulk in my room until dinner so you, selfish and arrogant, can sleep?"

Sirius gave her a look and nodded, "Yeah. Yeah, that'd be nice."

So, Lily sat, sulking in her room, waiting for dinner. She wasn't sure where James and Mary had gone off to, and really, she guessed it was better that way. Lily was reading one of the books Sirius had given her when she heard a tapping on her window.

"Mail!" She squealed as she hopped off of bed and pulled open the window.

An envelope dropped in, the deliverer unseen since the blinds were not pulled back and in the way. After picking it up, Lily stuck her head outside the window and looked to the sky to see who had sent her the letter. All she could see was a black speck, so she shrugged and closed the window.

Lily sat down and opened her letter, which she realized by the type of envelope was a muggle one. When she pulled out the piece of notebook paper and saw the neat handwriting, she knew exactly who it was from.

_Lily,_

_I would like to inform you that Vernon and I are now married. We did not inform you because I did not want somebody like you at my wedding. And plus, we have not seen each other in a long time and we're not really like family anymore. Vernon and I have moved, I am not saying where for safety reasons. Don't come looking for me. I want to stay as far away from you as possible. You're a disgrace to our family, you have broken father's heart and made me feel ashamed of having you as a sister. Please do not come looking for me. _

_-Petunia _

Lily blinked and reread the short, but effective, letter. So that's how they decided to treat her? Like she wasn't family anymore? Did they not even have the dignity to tell her beforehand that her very own sister was getting married? Did they have the humanity of not telling her that they hated her, even if that's what they felt? Even though she wouldn't even have dreamed of attending the wedding, at least she would have known!

This was the kind of treatment that she had always received from them, but it wasn't until now, until she had witnessed a loving family and felt like she was welcome in a house, did it really begin to sting. Her history, her family, the people that were supposed to support her and love her regardless of _anything_…well, they weren't doing too good of a job of it.

'

She put the letter down to her side and stared blankly off into space, her mind not knowing how to react. Suddenly, the door slammed open and James strode in, looking much too happy for the kind of mood Lily was currently in. Because if she knew anything, it was that she was not remotely happy.

"Hey Lils, Mary is gone." He announced and sat next to her on the bed.

When Lily didn't say anything, he turned to look at her. "What's wrong?" He asked as he saw her blanks stare.

Her hands fumbled to pick up the letter and she tossed it into his hands. James read the letter in silence before putting it gently down.

"Wow." He said after a moment. "That's…that's really sucky. I'm sorry your dad and sister are assholes."

"Why do you have to be so lucky?" She said softly.

James caught the crack in her voice and scooted a little closer to her. "You're always welcome here."

"I know I am, but I wish I had blood-related family that could love me unconditionally. It's just something that seems so normal to you or other people that I missed out on. It's like something big is missing."

"You'll have your own family someday."

"I don't want to wait for someday to come around!" She gave a shaky sigh and threw herself backwards onto the bed, grabbing a pillow and putting it over her head.

She sniffed, and with a small laugh, said through the pillow, "God, I'm so pathetic."

James lay down next to her, turning on his side to face her, "Why would you be pathetic."

"Because I'm crying!" She yelled with exasperation.

"Take the pillow off of your face." James ordered calmly.

"No,"

"Take it off." He repeated.

Slowly, she moved the pillow downwards until it was resting under her arms. Lily stared at the ceiling, her eyes a bit blotchy and refusing to look at James.

"You're not pathetic because you cry."

Lily said nothing and continued to stare at the ceiling.

"If you say that crying is pathetic again, I'll smack you."

"Crying is pathetic." She said, trying to keep down a smile.

"Oh, no you did not!" He said, trying to make her cheer up.

She gave a small laugh. Lily gave up and with a smile turned to face James, "Bite me."

James lunged for her hand and brought it to his mouth, attempting to bite the struggling hand. Lily was squealing, trying to break her hand away from his evil bite.

"Stop it! Don't bite me! Don't bite me with your yellowing teeth!"

James froze, "Hey. My teeth are not yellow."

"You're right, they're more brown." She smirked.

"God, you're such a stubborn girl. Why can't you be normal?" James tried to pass it off as an insult, but something about his voice and the look he had in his eyes made it almost affectionate.

"Well, what kind of fun would that be?" She said softly.

He shrugged and whispered, "I don't know."

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh damn! It was so, so hard to keep her sanity at this moment, when every nerve in her body was ordering yet begging her to kiss him, kiss him or she might explode!

James put his hand on her face and with his thumb swept off a lingering tear. Instead of making her smile a bit, like he'd hope, she gave a little frown.

Now, as giddy as his hand on her face made her feel, it also resurrected the thought that James had a girlfriend, and not just any girl, it was Mary. So instead she put on a frown and sighed. Lily then turned onto her back and faced the ceiling once again.

"So, what'd you do with Mary?"

'Way to ruin the mood, Lily.' _She scolded herself. _

James gave a long, troubled sigh and brushed his hand through his hair, "Good, I guess."

"What'd you do?" She asked.

"Walked around the garden."

"Sounds exciting."

"Yeah…where were you?"

"Sirius', for like five minutes. By the way, he has something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Ask him later."

"Okay."

"James?" Lily asked.

"Yeah?"

"Can we really go to a club for New Years?"

"If you want, I guess…"

"Alright. Because I think it'd be fun."

"Okay. You and me and the guys?"

"Sure." Lily shrugged.

"Alright. New Years is in two days right?"

"Right."

"And the first of January there's a Quiditch Game."

"Really? Are we going to go see it?" Lily asked with excitement.

"Yep, we're always invited, every year. Box office view."

"That's awesome!" Lily turned back on her side, "I've never seen a real Quiditch match."

"What, Hogwarts isn't real?"

"You know what I mean."

He shrugged, "Yeah. Hey, let's go downstairs and get dinner ready."

Lily sighed and stood up, "Alright, alright."

They stretched and made their way out the door when suddenly Lily randomly wrapped James up in a large hug from behind.

"Thanks. You're the best." Lily said.

James ruffled up her hair a bit, "No problem."

Lily shuffled through her paper before folding it up and tying it up on Navy's claw.

"Good boy, now send that letter to Leah and I'll give you a treat when you get back." Lily cooed as she stroked her owl's head.

Navy screeched before jumping up into the air and flying out the open window. Lily watched the owl until he disappeared and then close the window tightly shut. She had just sent out her New Year's letter to Leah. Leah's last letter was full of gloating because Leah specifically reminded her of the time when the had gone to the side of the lake after that frightful picnic with Mary, and Leah had told Lily that James and her would eventually like each other. Damn Leah for always being right.

Finally the last day in the year had come around, and she felt like there wasn't enough time to properly end such an eventful year. As Lily walked down to the dining room, she thought of all the events that had happened this year. Well, there was befriending the Marauders…especially James. There was her first letter from Voldemort, the fact that she accidentally killed a Death Eater, Leah was raped, Death Eater attacks had begun, all those weird twisted dreams, becoming a Head Girl, being stalked by that weird guy in the dark room, and she figured out she was helplessly crazy for James but he was going out with a bitch...

Yes. A very emotional year for her.

Ha. Half of those things she'd completely forgotten about! Funny, she was sure it would all return once she went back to Hogwarts though. Not that she wanted them too, but it just seemed likely.

The Potters were having a big family dinner, family dinner including Peter, Remus, Sirius, and Lily. Everyone was already seated at the table when Lily arrived shamefully late, but they let her off and began the feasting.

They all spoke of the year's highlights, pleasantly leaving out the not-so-great parts, which was really a bunch of it. Lily loved the Potter's family dinners, it was always a lot of fun.

"So, Lily and I decided that we're going to go to the club tonight, you know, do something different for New Years. Who's coming?" James asked.

"I'd go but my parents are going to be home for the first time in ages. Sorry." Remus declined reluctantly.

Lily said, "Don't worry, that's fine. Say hi to your parents for me."

"Sirius, Peter?" James asked.

"Errr…I-I have something to do." Peter excused.

"Yes, and I am going to go to Marina's." Sirius said with a grin. He had told them about her, and to his surprise, they greeted the idea without teasing.

"Oh, Sirius! You got yourself a girlfriend, how cute!" Mrs. Potter squealed with delight.

Sirius blushed a little and mumbled, "Yeah."

"So you're leaving me with James?" Lily whined.

"I'm not that bad!"

"Speak for yourself."

James stuck out his tongue, which was covered in gross food.

"Eww!" Lily cringed.

Mr. Potter had been very silent this whole dinner until he finally spoke up, "Where's this club?"

"London." James answered.

"I'm not letting you go." He answered firmly.

James dropped his silverware, "Why not?"

"London was attacked today." He announced grimly.

"_Today?_ Harry, why didn't you tell me?" Mrs. Potter cried.

"I didn't want to stress you." He admitted and let out a sigh.

"When?" Remus asked quickly.

"About two hours ago,"

"Did anybody die?" Sirius asked.

"A Muggleborn family, three Aurors, and four onlookers. Thirty in Mungo's." He reported.

"Oh my God…" Lily said sadly under her breath.

"A village was lit on fire, they're still working on the ruins."

"That's horrible." James sighed.

"Tell me about it. If that wasn't enough, the Quiditch game was canceled. Security reasons." Mr. Potter muttered.

The boys cried out, "WHAT?"

"I know, I know! The makeup day is in three days, if no other attacks happen."

"We won't be here then…" Peter spoke up.

Lily had almost forgotten he was here. She turned her head to survey him, trying to keep the suspicion out of her face. He seemed pretty normal, calm and collected. Maybe she was wrong about him.

"I know. Well, at least it's not the cup."

"When's that?" Lily asked.

"In the summer," Mrs. Potter said.

"This is a nice way to end the year…"

Sirius dropped his knife and cried sarcastically, "Yep! Happy freakin' New Years!"

* * *

LOOK WHO UPDATED QUICKLY! LOOK! ME, ME, ME! 

Okay, so I know this was kinda a filler, but I needed to get to New Years quickly. I also didn't want to write about the Quiditch game, so I attacked London. God, I'm getting good at this. That's what I like best about writing, it makes me feel supremely powerful. Don't like a character? BAM, YOU'RE DEAD! Don't want to write about a game? BURN DOWN THE STADIUM! Feeling thirsty for revenge? BAM, YOU'RE PREGNANT!

Anyhoom, today was a snow day. Not like you care, but yeah.

Erm…right. To my reviewers.

I would like to thank: **secludeddark, itsaspoon, slippersRfuzzy, lily20, Brittany, hepsalarkalamia, evahyoung gives you cookie, beyonce-85, Silverstarwriter, luv-nave, sporty12gd4u, deppfan56, Florida-babe07,**

**My-lil'-Rerun**- Thanks so much! Did you really tell your F.F friends about my story. Golly, thanks dorky grin

**GlassBroomstick**- Thank you on the congrats! I'm really really glad you liked the last chapter, for some reason I just did not like _it at all_. So thank you for saying that, it was very reassuring. And okay, I'll try and get to Mary and James breaking up A.S.A.P.

**rubber ducks need love too**- Wow! I like that song! Thanks for showing it to me, I think it actually does reflect the story pretty well. Hmm…who's it by? I'll look it up. Thank ya for reviewing!

**Jackster2 (who is too lazy to sign in ;) )-** Hmm…how long do I plan on making it. Good question. I don't want it to ramble onwards forever, so I'll try and get it to the crazy part soon, because I'm simply dying to write it. But no, it's not going to end in the next five chapters, not even ten chapters. It's too soon to really tell, sorry. Thanks for reviewing!

**Stargirlr**- Alright, I shall read your story! Is there a specific one you want me to read? Because I'm horrible at making decisions and I'm indecisive. Thank ya for reviewing :)

**Violets-in-Spring-** Really? Do you really talk about my story with your friends? REALLY? Wow. I do feel special. Thank you very much for making me feel good AND reviewing!

**Elspeth Renee**­- Well, James knows, not that she was almost killed but basically that she was abused. She will though, either in the next chapter o the one after that. Thanks for reminding me though because I completely forgot.

**SiriusProtege-** Will read your story! I'm sure it's great. :) Look, I updated quickly! Hehe, alright, thanks for reviewing.

**Swizzlestix-** You missed part of the Oscars for me? Wow! I feel special! I'm glad you like it so much. Yeah…I always get really impatient when Lily and James flirt but are so blind. It can be so tempting to just have them finally snog. Thanks for reviewing!

**Ferramoco**- Aw! I'm glad I could make your day better! Hope they stay better. Thanks for reviewing!


	28. Merlin!

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: I not own nothing except my characters/plot. The rest is J.K._

* * *

_Previously_

_"I know. Well, at least it's not the cup."_

_"When's that?" Lily asked._

_"In the summer," Mrs. Potter said._

_"This is a nice way to end the year…"_

_Sirius dropped his knife and cried sarcastically, "Yep! Happy freakin' New Years!"_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Merlin!**

Conversation did not return to normal, but again they just pushed everything under the table and turned to a more pleasant conversation. The food was so delicious that Lily had to restrain herself to stop eating so she could save space for desert. Which was strawberry shortcake, the best she'd ever had. Finally dinner ended, and they said goodbye to Sirius, Remus, and Peter, exchanging many cheesy variations of, "I'll see ya, NEXT YEAR!"

As her friends left, and a happy feeling was bubbling up inside of her, she thought of poor Leah who was all alone in the hospital. Lily had tried to convince Leah to let her go over there, but she had declined, telling her to spend it doing something fun. The only reason Lily had given in was because Leah had told her that there was going to be a New Years party at the hospital.

"Thank you very much for the dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Potter." Lily said politely.

"Oh, my pleasure! Its' a delight to have you for New Years Eve dinner." She smiled as she stacked up the plates to take to the kitchen.

Mr. Potter stood and ruffled a hand through his hair before asking, "Are you kids still going to go out?"

"Of course!" James said, surprising Lily, who thought that London had been their only option for a New Years escapade.

"Where?" Mr. Potter asked sternly.

"There's one in Haggar's." James suggested.

Mr. Potter didn't say anything for a moment before reluctantly saying, "Alright, you can go. But be very, very careful and don't stay out too late." He warned.

"Thanks, I won't." James grinned with relief, as did Lily.

"If you're going to go, you better start getting ready," Mrs. Potter told them as she came back into the room.

"Alright bye, thanks for dinner mum." James said before rushing out of the room, dragging Lily behind him.

"So we're going to go?" Lily asked with excitement once they exited the room.

"Yep! It's okay, the one in London wasn't that good anyway."

"Is there anyone else who we can ask to go with us?" Lily asked. It's not like she didn't want to go with James, but she had to admit that she was a little nervous about it.

"Well, Mary, but I don't think you want that."

"Forget it then, I'll just put up with you." She teased.

"Hey, it's a wizarding club, so you better watch yourself. Girls will be drooling over me." He said cockily.

Lily just laughed and rolled her eyes, running up the stairs in front of him.

James thought Lily looked pretty good. You know, her shirt was nice. A little tighter than her normal. But yeah, it was…form flattering. It had caught him greatly by surprise when Lily had stepped out to reveal a black, wavy skirt, if the shirt wasn't enough of a shock. The skirt was somewhere in between a mini skirt and a knee-length one, falling balanced right in-between. Well, all and all, James had to hand it to her that she managed to look very, _very_ attractive without plastering on makeup or going all crazy out with her hair and clothes. How Lily always ended up like that James had no clue.

James had whistled when she had stepped out and Lily had in turn swatted at him, but not without letting out a bit of a blush and a ghost of a smile. They had gone downstairs, said goodbye to James' parents (who, since their child wouldn't be home to celebrate with, had decided to go to one of their co-workers New Years parties), and then got into the car.

How James learned how to drive, Lily didn't feel the need to ask, since he drove very smoothly and did not crash it into a stop sign, as Lily would have thought. She was nervous the whole time, trying to sink down the butterflies in the stomach by babbling onwards, not having a purpose to any of the words she spit out except to keep herself occupied.

Finally James cut her off, "Can you stop talking for like, a minute?" He said with laughter in his voice.

Lily, slightly embarrassed, just shut her mouth and let him speak.

"I see your wearing the necklace I gave you." He announced with a grin.

Lily looked down and touched her neck, "Oh, yeah, I am."

"It looks good with your outfit."

"Return of the stylist!"

"Shut up. Now you say, 'Thank you James! You're such a gentleman!'" He said, imitating he with a squeaky, high-pitched voice.

"I do not sound like a chipmunk!"

James gave a loud cough and Lily cried, "Hey!"

"Look at that, we're here!" He announced quickly, parked the car into the nearest space, and hopped out.

"Those thirty minutes went by quickly." Lily said as she gently got out of the car.

"Speak for yourself, it's not as quick when you're not the one talking." He said with a roll of his eyes as they made their way through the cold night towards the doors. For the most part it was full, but even as they walked across the parking lot people were arriving in flocks. From outside they could here the muffled pound of music, vibrating through the doors and windows.

"I'm nervous. Do they check for ID's?" Lily whispered. Duh. How could she have been so stupid, they were underage!

"Not when you know the manager." He smirked. At first Lily wanted to grab his arm and restrain him from doing whatever mischievous thing he had to do to get them in, but seeing as James would probably win the fight of tug-o-war, she sighed and followed behind him.

"Ricky!" James cried as he came up to the doors. A large, buff black man (A/N: I hope nobody is offended for not being 'Constitutionally Correct'. Please don't be!) who was checking everyone's I.D.'s looked up, and upon seeing James, dropped his pursed-lips, totally serious I'm-going-to-kick-your-ass look and gave James a huge smile and a high five.

"Man, I haven't seen you in a while!" He said with a laugh, completely ignoring the impatient people in line.

"With school and everything it's hard to find a time for fun." He said with a smile.

"Ah, yes, Hogwarts. Good ole days, those were!"

Nervously, Lily arrived stood next to James and gave the security guard the strongest smile she could.

"Ah, what a beautiful lady. And you would be James' girlfriend? Lucky you, James." He said with a laugh.

"Nah, we're friends." She said casually.

"I see, I'm sorry." He grinned, "So, I'm guessing you'd like me to let you in?"

"If you would be so kind." James said.

"Of course. Just don't drink too much."

"That wont' be a problem." He grinned, and slipped through a second door next to the main ones, Lily following after him, too relieved to say anything.

"Okay then, I'll see you guys later." Ricky said with a laugh before returning to the line.

"Bye!" James called back.

Once they were both inside, still right next to the door but feeling the exciting heat of the room, James extended both his arms outward and yelled, "See, when you're filthy rich, this is what you can get!" It was as if he was showing Lily a beautiful, expensive house he had just bought, or a piece of artwork he had made himself.

"Good thing I've got the right connections then, ay?" She said with a wink.

"You don't even _know_ how lucky you are."

"Does it matter? Come on, show me around." Lily rushed.

"Alright, but you're going to have to hold my hand," he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"How do I know you're not just saying that so you can flirt with me?" She teased, but took his hand anyway. Getting lost in this mass would be incredibly hectic to get out of.

"That's a good girl." He said when he felt her hand grab his.

James pulled her through the place until they ended up in a largely less-crowded area, where a bar was lining the wall, behind it men taking orders and juggling beer bottles for their customer's entertainment. Lily and James found two empty bar stools and sat there, leaning on the bar counter to discuss.

"Shall we go to the dance floor first, or after we have a drink?" James asked.

Lily bit her lip and thought for a moment, "Let's go dance. My body's aching for some kind of non-lazy movement."

"Dance floor it shall be then." James stood up and took Lily's hand again, helping the unfortunately shorter girl down.

"My, my, always the gentleman, aren't you?"

"What can I say? My mother taught me well."

"Except in the common sense department, but there's no hope for that now."

"Fiesty." He winked.

Lily rolled her eyes, still holding onto his hand as they slithered into the dance floor. Once they reached a spot that was not covered with gliding bodies, they stood there for a moment staring at each other to make the first move.

Finally, Lily asked, "Dance with me or somebody else first?"

With the pounding music in very direction, he heard absolutely none of what she said.

"WHAT?" He shouted.

Lily rolled her eyes and stood on her tippy-toes, barley reaching his ear. She then leaned into him so that it looked like she was whispering a secret to him and repeated, "Dance with me or somebody else first?"

Now understanding, he gave a sweet smile and mouthed, "Only you."

Lily gave a small laugh and then nervously looked around as James came closer. The music was so loud it was intimidating, and she, probably being the youngest in the room, felt like everyone was staring at her and eying her funny.

"Don't be nervous," James said into her ear, observing her fidgeting.

She nodded and took a deep breath. Without embarrassment James approached, closing the gap of space between them in one fluid movement. James began to move, but Lily didn't know how to react. How were you supposed to dance with a friend? She'd done it before, many times in fact, but never with somebody who she was secretly crazy over.

Lily closed her eyes for a moment and thought to herself, "Damnit, just dance! Anything would be better than just standing there like a moron, so _move_!"

With that final push she needed from herself, she opened her eyes and began to dance feebly. At first Lily still felt the haunting eyes on her back, but she kept thinking to herself, _"Don't give a shit,"_ And that sincerely helped. Once Lily got a hang of it, it felt relieving, like she was letting all her troubles drift away. Right now she was doing what _she_ wanted and enjoying herself, regardless of what anyone thought of her.

James now seemed to be enjoying himself even more than he had been moments ago. Personally, he loved the way Lily danced, she had this rhythmic beating, the way her body swayed, that gave the impression that she was part of the music itself, that you were feeling another part of the song by watching her. Now he felt intimidated by this confident girl, knowing that the reason that people would turn to look at them was not because he was rich and his family was famous, but it was because he was dancing with a very beautiful girl who obviously knew how to enjoy herself.

Second, he got a jolt in his stomach whenever, either by the pressure of the other dancers around them or by the natural way they flowed, her warm body would find it's way against his. It often varied from exactly what it was. Sometimes one of their hands would find themselves lingering and accidentally touching, or a hip would incidentally bump. More often though, it was Lily's warm stomach or chest that found itself pressed a little tighter to him. It was nothing really sexual or shocking to onlookers, but even the slightest contact between them made every nerve tingle and every breath shakier.

Soon, Lily felt like she couldn't take it anymore. If she didn't find somebody else to dance with soon, she as going to do something regrettably rash. James was driving her absolutely _crazy_, the way she was so short of breath every time they touched! Lily felt an aching in her stomach to jump on him and just _kiss_ him. Yeah, just kiss him, flip off anyone who had a damn problem with it because _she did not care_.

Sadly, she had morals. Because, and Lily was very sure about this, that the desire was so strong she would have, had it not been her morals to get in the way. No, morals were not a good thing, Lily decided.

"Shall we move on?" Lily said in his ear.

"That'd be a good idea."

"Yeah…yeah. Stay around here though, and if we get lost meet me…"

"By the bathrooms?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, I'll see you in a while."

"Bye."

Lily regretfully turned around and walked through the throng of dancers. It was seconds after she left James' sight that she was asked to dance, surprisingly, by a man about four years older than she. Too shocked to decline, she ended up dancing with a man who thought, just because he got Lily to dance with him, was some kind of sex god.

He was very feely-touchy, too much for Lily's liking. So after one song she quickly, and not too politely excused herself from his stressful presence. On her way over to the bar to get a drink, another guy, about her age this time, asked her to dance. This guy wasn't as horny and perverted as the last, so she danced with him for a couple of songs until the parch feeling in her throat made her excuse herself.

Lily hopped onto the bar and gave the bar tender a crazy look that said, "GIVE ME SOMETHING TO DRINK, DAMNIT!"

So, in fear of her safety, quickly rushed to her attendance.

"Hello there, what can I getcha?" He asked.

"Umm…" Lily peered at the menu hanging down from the roof. "How about a strawberry blend? That sounds good."

"Ah, my personal favorite." He said. He picked up a blender full of a strawberry smoothie looking drink and poured it into a fancy cup. He then picked up a bottle of white liquid.

"Rachel's?" He asked as he shook the bottle.

"Er…"

"We also have Merlin's." He said, seeing the look of confusion on her face.

Ah yeah, that clarified things. Not wanting to sound stupid she said, "Uh…Merlin's."

"Alright then," he took another bottle and poured some into the slushy. "Here you are," he said as he brought over her cup.

"Thanks," Lily said before taking a sip.

At first there was a strong, bitter blast in her mouth that made her almost want to spit it out the vile-tasting drink. Somehow, though, she swallowed reluctantly, and after shivering from the strong taste, went in for another try. The second time it wasn't as strong, in fact, it was almost cooling and refreshing. Lily could now taste the strawberry, but it was very sharp, alerting her senses and opening her eyes.

"It's great." Lily said as she furiously drank.

The man chuckled as he walked away to serve another costumer. Lily finished her cup in a matter of minutes, and quickly got a refill. She ignored the fact that she was full after he second cup and promised to get only one more before she would leave.

She reluctantly finished her last drink, gave the bartender a generous tip, and went back into the dance floor to find James. Lily walked along the bathrooms to see if he was there, but he was not, so she made her way into the crowd and attempted to find him.

Miraculously, she did, he was just finishing dancing with some girl that looked like she might die to get in bed with him, or at least give a limb to kiss him. When James, looking a little bored, caught sight of Lily, he excused himself politely and went over to her.

"There you are!" He said, taking her hand.

"I was getting something to drink." She told him as he dragged her further in.

"It took you long enough."

He swept her into another dance, this time, for some reason, Lily was a little more generous in her moves than before. James was shocked at first when she coiled her arms around his neck for a moment, grinning wildly as she did so. Seeing the maniacal grin, he gave a little laugh and continued dancing, pretending not to notice or care how she was a little tighter than before.

It didn't take long for the tension to build up, for their heads to be spinning and their breath to be so shaky that, for their safety, they broke apart from each other and took a little break dancing with somebody else. As Lily milled around for a while, a man came up to her, looking about nineteen perhaps. Obviously, he thought he was too good to ask her to dance, so Lily suddenly found herself trapped into dancing with a man who had slithered in front of her in a matter of seconds.

Lily's first reaction was to slap him, push him away or kick his balls, yet for some reason she didn't. Before she got a chance to react, she realized that somewhere in the back of her mind she found the man very attractive, which was weird, seeing as she could hardly make out his features in this lighting.

So she put up with his overly-confident behavior and danced with him for a while, her mind however only focused on the moments she had spent dancing with James. In fact, she could make him out in the crowd now, with his messy black hair. He was dancing with a few girls at once, she noticed with dismay. Like piranhas, they were attempting to snag his attention from the rest of the competition.

"Want to get a drink?" The man in front of her asked.

Lily, still peering at James, said half-heatedly, "Yeah, sure."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the bars, bringing her out of her trance and bringing her attention to the man who was currently holding her by the hand.

He got two seats near the end of the ongoing row of counters and chairs. Now that Lily could make out his features, very handsome ones at that, she began to feel a little nervous. It was obvious she was younger than she was, not by a horribly awkward amount, but enough to make her feel uneasy.

"So, what's your name?" He asked. The first thing he noticed was that he had an American accent. She normally would have laughed at the guy, but at the moment she found it quite attractive.

"Lily," she said flirtatiously, "Yours?"

"Brian. Can I get you a Merlin?"

God, what was everyone's obsession with that drink?

"Sure," Lily consented, remembering the exotic taste it had in her mouth

Brian rang up two Merlin's with the waiter, who came back with a cup full of the same clear liquid that Lily had seen him earlier pour into her drink.

Once served, he gave her a quick wink before they poured down their first serving of the arousing liquid. It was funny, the drink made your senses sharper, yet made everything seem…dreamlike. Later on Lily would slap herself for being so thick, because she knew the whole time exactly what that drink was.

"Another one?"

Lily couldn't stop herself now, "Of course."

One more glass down, and the colors began to get clearer and sharper. She looked down at her shirt, had she been wearing a green shirt?

"It seems you're loosened up, shall we go back?" He asked her, taking her hand.

"That sounds good," She said, forcing down the urge to laugh.

"You look great." He complimented, looking her quickly up and down.

This time a giggle _did_ burst out, to her surprise, "Thanks."

"So Lily, live around here?" He asked as he grabbed her by the hips. They were moving in the mass of people now, dancing to the lively beat that was pounding in on every direction.

She shook her head, "Visiting a friend."

"That's too bad…I was hoping maybe I'd see you around."

"Maybe you will." Lily said and cocked her head to the side.

"I hope so." He grinned.

Suddenly, the music ended and a loud voice came on the speakers. Brian let go of her hips and their attention turned to something rising out of the crowd.

"Ladies and Gentleman!" The voice was loud and energetic, a little drunk. "Welcome to Flopp's annual New Years Eve bash!"

Everyone stopped dancing and looked to a stage that had just risen up on the back wall. The crowd gave off loud, hearty cheering and whistling. Lily, consumed in the energy, let out a cheer.

"There is approximately one hour until midnight! We'll have a countdown, but until then, you'll have to dance like you never have before!"

Again, the cheering ensued.

"So come on, get this party started!"

If Lily hadn't been feeling so strange, she maybe would have rolled her eyes at the cheesy way they were yelling and partying, each person thinking they were the coolest shits in the building. Yet, before she had a chance to even think that, the roof burst with vigorous strobe lights and the floor lit into a blue glow, whose shades darkened and lightened fluidly, it was almost like watching a lava lamp.

She screeched and jumped when she first saw it, "Look, look at the floor!" Lily pointed, before going into a laughing fit. "Oh my God, it's so cool!" She squealed before tapping her foot on the glowing ground. She tapped it again to get a reaction out of it, and white, lightning-like shaky streaks of light came rippling out of it every time she took a step.

"Look at that" She cried to Brian, stomping on the ground and sending out waves of lightning.

Brian stood there with an amused and slightly scared look on his face, "Yeah…" He said slowly.

"I have to show James the blue floors!" She cried. "Have you seen James?" Lily whipped around and asked him.

"Who's James?"

"My friend!" She said with exasperation. "I'm going to go find him, okay? It was nice dancing with you."

She leaned forward and gave him a loud kiss on the cheek. Brian looked too shocked to say anything, so he stood, confused mute, and watched the crazy girl stumble away to find…Jay…or whoever. Ah well, he shrugged it off. Another funny story to tell about those crazy British girls when he got back home…

Lily stumbled through the crowds, searching desperately for James. Finding her way to where she had seen him earlier, she spotted him against the wall, trying to blend into the surroundings. She didn't blame him, with all those wild girls wanting a piece of him. Lily pushed through the mass until she got to the wall.

She threw herself next to him, sending out an excited cry as she hit the wall. James jumped in shock, but upon seeing it was her, let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey Lily. Had enough of a break?"

"James, look at the floor!" She squealed, pointing to the blue glow beneath them.

James gave an amused laughter, "Yeah. I saw that."

"Isn't it so cool?" She asked sincerely Then she lit up, "Oh! Oh! And look a this!" Gingerly, biting her lip, she stuck out a leg and then quickly tapped it against the floor. The ripples sent her into a laughing fit, "Isn't that _awesome_?"

James eyed her funny, "Yeah…that's awesome. Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm feeling great! It's the end of the year, we should be celebrating!" Lily cried.

"Can we take a break, like, from dancing for a while? Apparently some of the girls in there know who I am." He admitted sheepishly.

"I thought that was a good thing," She smirked. "I do recall you _gloating_ on and on about!"

"Yeah, well…" he trailed off.

"Come on, cheer up!" Lily said and gave him a little shove.

"Alright, alright." He put on a strained smile, "How's this?"

Lily giggled, "Not quite." She grabbed the edges of his mouth and pulled them upwards, forming an overly large grin.

"There!" She exclaimed.

Once she let go and gave another bubbly laugh, James raised an eyebrow, "What is wrong with you?"

"Wrong with me? Nothing!"

"You're really…bubbly…"

"I'm _always_ bubbly!"

"Not this bubbly."

"Bubbly," she giggled, "I like that word. Bubbly, bubbly, bubbly…"

"Lily, you haven't been getting high or anything, right?" He half-teased.

"No way! I was dancing with this one guy. He was really cute, actually, even though he was American. Not that Americans aren't hot or anything but, I mean, it's not like I see them every day. Anyways, he must have been like nineteen, and we danced, even though he was really gloaty and weird and just randomly started dancing and didn't even ask, he was still kind of nice. His name was Bob. I think." She looked strained for a moment, "Or Billy. I think it was Billy."

"I see."

"Yeah, and I saw you dancing with those sluts. Why were you dancing with them?"

"I just told you, I didn't want to go back there because they were really…freaky."

"Oh. Right."

"Yeah…."

"I'm talking too much, I'll shut up." She pursed her lips together and became attentive.

"Are you drunk?"

"No! You know I don't drink! I only had some strawberry thing that was really good…"

"Anything else?"

She thought hard, "Yeah. Yeah, there was some…drink. It was so good, it was weird. But I don't know what it was. But it didn't taste like alcohol."

"How do you know what alcohol-"

"There you are!" A female voice said, and Lily and James turned to face a girl, with shoulder-length black hair.

James groaned, "Addy?"

"I just came over to meet your girlfriend," she snapped. The girl, Addy, then turned bitterly to Lily and extended a hand, "You must be his _girlfriend_."

"Actually…"

Suddenly, unable to restrain herself, the girl turned to James and yelled, "James, you bastard! You never answered my question! Why did you never answer my letters?" She demanded.

"Addy, forget about it, it was a year and a half ago!"

"Yeah, it might have been, but do you know how long I waited for your letters?"

"Look, I'm sorry, but-"

"No! I thought we were _in love_!"

James put on a half-appalled, half shocked look, "_What?_ It was a one-night stand, are you crazy?"

"Then I guess I was the only one who felt something there?"

"Yeah, I guess so!"

"Burn in hell!" With that, the girl slapped his face and then turned and walked away, disappearing as quickly as she had appeared. Lily had to blink twice to make sure that was not just a random hallucination.

James rubbed his burning cheek in pain, wincing.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked with concern, putting a hand on his sore cheek.

"Fine," he gave an annoyed sigh and dropped his hands from his face.

"Who was that?"

"Ex-girlfriend. One of those people you spend a night with and never expect to hear from again."

"I wouldn't know."

He looked up at her and shook his head, "No, you wouldn't. I hate it when girls _don't_ tell me when they love me, or think they love me."

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"It's something I deserve to know."

She nodded and then they stood there in silence. Suddenly Lily gave a little chuckle, "She thought I was your girlfriend."

"It's not an unreasonable assumption, seeing as you're a girl and you're going with me to a club."

"I know," she shrugged, "I just found it a little funny."

James said nothing and Lily gave a long sigh, "Let's go dance. It's depressing to stand her against the wall, on New Years Eve, in a club."

James gave a small smile and agreed. He groaned as he pushed himself off the wall and reluctantly walked back to the dance floor, Lily right behind him.

Lily was the one to make the first move this time, closing the space and putting her arms around his neck. It was James' turn to be shocked as she began to dance differently from the way she had been earlier. Despite the fact that last time she looked like she was completely free…well, even then she had had some modesty. Now, however, it was a little more out there. Okay, a lot more out there.

Her hands roamed without shame, she was so close to him that James almost believed that he could hear her heartbeat beating through _his_ chest. Lily, in turn, could feel his heavy breathing whisper over the sensitive skin on her neck, sending shivers through her on every exhale. When their bare skin touched, whether it was their hands on neck, stomach, whatever, it had the same tingling effects, but this round nobody made a move to stop it. In fact, you couldn't really get away with calling it an accident anymore, because it obviously wasn't. And then- if you wanted to be really mean- you could say that after a dance like this, you couldn't wave off feelings, there were really no more excuses left.

That feeling of desire caught Lily up again, her lips ached for some form of contact. She daringly lifted her gaze to James, who looked down to her. He found her eyes glazed over with want, a helpless look in those emerald, green whirlpools of-

_James, you have a girlfriend!_

But, if it's just one kiss, it won't matter, will it?

_Of course it will. And plus, you know it won't be just one kiss. _

Just one, pleeease?

_No, remember, you told yourself you'd never cheat on a girl again! It always ends in disaster._

I'll cover it up well!

_Lily wouldn't like being kissed then ditched, you know that._

He sighed and admitted defeat to his subconscious. Lily looked up upon hearing his sigh and felt her stomach give a sickening lurch.

"How many minutes 'till midnight?" She said in a hoarse voice.

"Ten," he said, glancing at a neon-blue clock on the wall.

"Let's leave after midnight." Lily said quickly, the tension gradually decreasing.

"Alright. Why?"

"I don't feel too good. "

It was true- she felt horrible. Maybe it was being to close to him, but for some reason she felt dizzy. Her once-clear senses were falling drastically, leaving her sight and speech blurry and stumbled. A horrible feeling her stomach was beginning to erupt.

"Want to go get a water?" He said, stopping his dancing to look at Lily with concern clouding over his eyes.

Lily suddenly looked very pale, "Yeah, that would be a good idea…"

"Come on," he took her hand and, making sure she was close to him, dragged her over to the almost empty bar. They sat down, Lily almost fell on the chairs, and James asked the bartender, "Can I just have a water?"

"Go over to that drink dispenser," the man pointed across the room.

James turned to look to see a soda machine dispenser and turned back in shock, "You mean you don't have any water here?"

The man shook his head, "Nope."

James groaned. "Fine, you stay here. I'll be right back."

He got up and ran over to the drink dispenser, disappearing in seconds through the crowd. The moment he was out of sight, Lily furiously turned to the bartender and hissed in a very demanding, desperate voice, "Get me a Merlin!"

"Are you sure? You don't look like you should-"

"Yes!"

Without another protest the bartender got a clear glass of Merlin and brought it to her. She furiously drank it down, feeling the blessed shock in her throat. Halfway through, she took a moment to catch her breath.

Just like she had hoped, her sharp senses had returned to her. The music was louder than ever, the colors looked vibrant and alive, and she felt a bubbly explosion rising up inside of her again. How quickly she rebounded actually surprised her, sending her mind into a confused jumble.

When James came running back, Lily's Merlin was gone and she as wearing a wide smile.

"Hey Lily, I got you some water. Don't drink anything else, okay?" He said, panting as he sat next to her.

"I feel better, thanks though."

"You sound better," he said suspiciously, "What happened?"

"Nothing!" Lily protested.

The loud voice on the stage interrupted James inquiry.

"Five more minutes everyone! These are the last five minutes of the year 1976! Come on guys, keep on dancing!"

"Come on, let's go back." Lily offered.

Remembering the tension earlier, he reluctantly agreed, "Alright, come on."

This time, the dance was, to their relief, free of sexual tension, it was pure fun and goofy. A song Lily knew came on and she began to sing it in a horrid, loud singing voice that made a few people turn to looking disgust at the immature girl. But James couldn't suppress his laughter, and ended up dancing along with her, sending her into twirls and wheeling her back in.

"You're so weird," he laughed.

"That's not a bad thing, is it?" She stated with a smirk.

"Not at all. I take it you're feeling better?"

"Yep, Jamsie."

He tried to ignore her calling him that horrid name, "That's good. I don't want you throwing up on my shoes on New Years."

Before Lily got a chance to reply, the voice came on the speakers, "One minute everyone! One minute until New Years!"

Chatter broke out louder, in energetic talking.

"Can you believe it? One more minute." Lily said, as James and her idly drifted in the crowd. Many people weren't dancing, in fact, a lot were talking like they were, maybe swaying a little to the music.

"I never feel like I perfectly wrap up a year, you know?"

"Yeah…I know what you mean. I-it's…" she trailed off.

"It's what?" James asked slowly after a moment.

"I…I forget."

"Alright then…"

"FOURTY-FIVE SECONDS!"

Lily gave a small squeal and wrapped her arms around him, "Make a wish!"

"Why?"

"You're supposed to make a wish on the last fourty-five seconds of the year,"

"I've never heard that one…"

"I made it up," she hushed.

"Oh."

"Yeah, now close your eyes."

James obeyed, and after a moment of silence, their eyes popped back open.

"What'd you wish for?" James asked.

"What do you think.." She teasingly winked.

"Lily, Lily, Lily, you're quite horny today!"

Lily suppressed a giggle and swatted at his arm, "Shut up!"

"THIRTY SECONDS!"

"Wanna know what my tradition is?" He smirked.

"What?"

"Kiss the closest girl."

"Nice try," Lily laughed, "you can kiss my _cheek_."

"That's no fun!"

"You're off limits," she said, "I simply can't."

"What if I wasn't off limits, would you kiss me then?"

"TWENTY!"

Lily seemed to consider this for a moment, "We'll never figure out, will we?"

James gave an exasperated sigh, "You're impossible."

"You know you like it."

"FIFTEEN!"

"I'm glad I met you," Lily blurted suddenly.

James furrowed his eyebrows, trying to figure out why she randomly said that, "You too?"

"TEN!"

Lily squealed, and they joined in the enthusiastic countdown to the end of the year.

"NINE!"

"EIGHT!"

"SEVEN!"

"SIX!"

"FIVE!"

"FOUR!"

"THREE!"

"TWO!"

"ONE!"

"**_HAPPY NEW YEAR!"_** Everyone roared at the top of their lungs, including the man with the microphone. It felt like a large explosion of happiness and excitement, and soon the room was blazing with happy cheering, as confetti flew down from the ceiling, an aura of happiness and exhilaration running free through the crowd.

"Happy New Years Lily!" James said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Happy New Years, James!" Lily said, grinning wildly, returning his kiss on the cheek.

Lily gave him a quick hug, and then they looked around to see half the population had obviously brought a partner, since they were busy kissing furiously. Although they weren't the only ones who were not partaking in this activity (more than half weren't), their previous desires made it seem like they were under a spotlight.

"Let's go get a beer- I mean soda to celebrate!" James said, coming up with an excuse to leave.

Lily gave a laugh, "Nah, you can have a beer, I'll just get some other drink." She grinned.

"So, what do you want to do this year?" He asked her as they, once again, walked out of the crowd.

Lily giggled, "I don't know."

"No New Years Resolution, no nothing?" James asked again.

Lily thought for a moment, "There was something, I think, but I forget."

"You're forgetful today."

Giggling, she responded, "Kinda."

Without commenting on her strange behavior, the two sat down on the bar and waited for the bartender. James said with a groan, "I'd kill for a Merlin. They're amazing, if you don't have too many. Sometimes you feel normal other times you feel…well, better than usual, and it just randomly come and goes. "

"Why don't you get one then?"

"They're an alcoholic beverage."

"…Really?" Lily gulped.

"Yeah." He said, her frightened voice passing over his head.

"Shit," Lily cursed and threw her now-throbbing head onto the table.

"What?" James asked slowly, but had already clicked, his suspicions were affirmed.

"Nothing," she said feebly.

"Get up," he ordered.

Lily peeked her head up, "What?"

"Get up, if you've had as many drinks as I think you've had, you're going to be spending the rest of the night throwing up. Come on, it's better to throw up outside than in here."

"How do you know?" She said accusingly, but not resisting his tug. The rolling feeling inside of her was sickening, she figured she might as well do what he said.

"Fourteen, too young and stupid to actually take people's advice and not drink."

"Technically, we're not allowed to drink now either, right?" Lily asked slowly.

"Yep. Which is why you have to throw up now before we get home or, if my parents find out, they're going to have a fit."

"I don't feel drunk, are you sure I'm drunk?" Lily groaned as James opened the door to the fresh air outside.

"As I said, it comes and goes. Eventually, the exhilaration wears down and you pour your guts out."

"Thanks for making me feel better," she said, her voice shaking.

James put on a sheepish smile, "Sorry."

They rounded the corner and turned to the back of the building. The music was loud and blaring inside, but all you could hear was resonating vibrations. There wasn't much to see, there was a back door, a truck, and a garbage disposal, lonely in the vast space. There were parking spaces taking up the place, as well, but it seemed like nobody ever used them. Their paint was wearing off and you could hardly see the separation of the spaces. Lily was now leaning on him for support, the very idea of having a hangover making her knees shaky and bendy.

When they reached the middle of the parking lot, James looked around, "What shall we do?"

"What do you mean? We're waiting for me to throw up." She snapped.

"Now, now, don't be so catty. No pressure for you to throw up or anything, I just think that you might. I did when I downed three glasses. How many did you have?"

"More than three," she groaned.

"You'll be fine, I'll take good care of you. Aw, I'd never see the day where Lily Evans would get drunk!"

"It's not my fault! It's your fault! Because you were there and you had a drink and stuff, and it's your fault!" She rambled in a slurred voice.

James laughed and put an arm around her, "Come on, let's sit down."

He sat on the grass, which was sprinkled just slightly in dew. Lily sat, a bit less gracefully. When she did, she fell over to her side, luckily towards James, and rested her head on his shoulder.

She groaned melodramatically, "I feel the shittyness coming on."

"Next time you get drunk, get drunk the muggle way. You know what to expect. Sadly, here in the wizarding world, getting drunk is different ever time."

"I'm never going to get drunk again. My dad is an alcoholic, I don't want to be anything like him." She mumbled.

James stroked her hair comfortingly, "One drunk experience doesn't make you an alcoholic, even less, it doesn't make you like your dad."

Lily said nothing and stared off into space, enjoying the feeling of James's arm halfway around her shoulder and his hand stroking her hair. She felt warm, loved, protected; a combination of feelings that were very scarce throughout her life. Thoughts swirled through her mind, a jumble of random ideas dancing around, most of them pertaining to a certain person who right now she was comfortably next to.

James looked up at the sky, feeling impeccably small against the vast skies and the brilliant shining of the many stars. He pulled Lily a little closer to him, looking away from the mocking skies and instead focusing on the girl next to him. Lily's eyes were glazed, staring off into space with a disgruntled look upon her face. Still, even though she was beyond drunk and her breath smelled too strongly of alcohol, he couldn't help but find her very attractive, with a good portion of her legs exposed and she was practically on top of him. Alright, well her head was on his shoulder, but it was enough for him. She was silent, ignorant of any move or sound he made. He saw her eyes, and a jumble of unreadable emotions sprang upon him, which were circling throughout her green whirlpools of eyes. What was she thinking about? Did he plague her thoughts, as James found that she did to his?

Then a thought occurred to James that made his face burn just thinking about it. If he kissed Lily right now, she wouldn't remember it the next day. In fact, she was so completely out there that she probably wouldn't even remember counting down to New Years, so much less anything he did now. For a moment it seemed tempting. Lily would be too drunk to push him away, so that saved him from the embarrassment. He would never do it again, just do it once, right now, to fulfill any secret desires so that he could move on with his life. After all, it was hard to go back to Mary when their had been sparks, chemistry, big reactions back there on the dance floor. It would be a quick, easy cure to end this plague.

Finally, he decided against it, knowing that it would only worsen the situation, even if the was the only one who was conscious about it. He dropped his hand from her hair and nudged her into consciousness.

"Mmm?"

"You feeling any better?"

"No," she answered truthfully. "But I don't think I'll be throwing up."

James gave a long sigh, "Alright, I'll tell you what. Let's make our way back to the house, hopefully you won't throw up. That'd be a miracle."

"Are you sure?" Lily asked doubtfully.

"Yes. If it takes us two hours to get back, so be it."

He stood up and offered a helping hand. Gratefully, Lily took it and hoisted herself up. For a moment she swayed, her balance not quite at it's best, but finally her spinning visions came to a stop.

"Ready?" James asked.

"Mhm."

"Come on," he let her lean on his shoulder, and they began to make their way slowly to the parking lot.

"So you're willing to stop the car five billion times so I can puke?" She gave a little laugh and said teasingly, "Do you _really_ care for me enough?"

"As long as you don't throw up in my car," he said playfully, but as Lily looked up at him with a grin, the look of affection in his eyes gave Lily her real answer.

Lily bit down a grin of pleasure at James' quite obvious care. Then, her smile suddenly flickered as a bitter thought traveled through her mind. Why everything that always felt so right to her had to be blocked by so many obstacles. Why was it that sometimes the one thing you needed, you just couldn't have? Even when all your other strong wants, needs, occasionally even things like hunger, seem dim in comparison in the thirst for love. How was it that you could be so overtaken by somebody, that your sanity lies completely in their hands?

Maybe she was taking this a little too far….she'd just see how things went with her and James, and maybe soon Mary and James' relationship would break. It certainly was fragile, and as Lily saw it, it was rocking dangerously, bound to fall anytime now. I mean, they couldn't last much longer…

Could they?

* * *

I tricked you guys! You thought I wasn't going to make them go to the club, but I did! So, how was it? Remember, Lily was drunk so if you thought it was abnormal how she was acting, keep that in mind. Sorry it was really long, but I had no other place to stop it. Next chapter, Lily has a hangover and they have a heart-to-heart talk! Maybe I'll fit in something else, I don't know.

PLEEEEEASE REVIEW! Tell me how I'm doing! I'm open to any suggestions and I'll answer any questions you have….

Thank you ever so greatly to 'le following: Brinneybit, its a spoon, sporty12gd4u, secludeddark, Lily20, Crimson Girl, evahyoung, anamika29, Bex, Violets-in-Spring, chlo242, Double Double Toil and Trouble, JadeGreen14, iluvromance:),

Jackster- Tehee, I liked your review! I live in the East Cost, EAST COST REPRESENTIN! I didn't intentionally make it seem like they weren;t going ot a club, I just wanted Mr. Potter to be a bit parental. I didn't even realize it looked like they weren't going until I read the reviews! Heh, but I hope you liked the club scene. Thank you for your lovely review!

SmileLikeUMeanIt- I'm so glad you liked how I delt with Jeff, I was really nervous about that. You never know how sensitive people are about certain subjects on the internet, so I'm glad it came out okay. Thank you very much for your review, I'm glad you caught everything I tried to say. I'm afraid my words are a confusing jumble sometimes : Thanks!

The ORIGINAL Meathead/Sam- Yerp, James has his own pitch and no, he hasn't seen Lily fly yet. Maybe I'll squeeze that in during Hogwarts, thank you for the suggestion! I'm also glad that for a moment during that one part in Mary's POV you had a flicker of sympathy, that's what I was aiming for. Oh, awesome, you live in Australia? I've always wanted to go there! We can trade for a while, so you can have a snow day and I can go to the beach there. Hehe, I've kind of given up on thinking that most Australians like vegemite and that most Brits like tea, because half the people who are either Australian or British don't like tea/vegemite. And thank you very much for bringing up about Lily telling James about the full extent of the abuse, because she hasn't quite yet, he only knows he was abusive. But I'll let you in on a little secret…shh…next chapter she will! Thank you very much for your great review :)

JenSnuffles- Wow. Is this really one of your favorites? Yay. That makes me feel really good, I hope that this chapter is living up to your expectations! Thank you very much for your review, I'm glad you like it!

GlassBroomstick- Haha, no, I'm not going to get Lily pregnant. Tehee…but you're very smart. Don't completely forget about that idea, though! Shhhhhh! Thanks for the review!

SiriusProtege- Ah, I love your story! It's so great, I just read it, update soon! It's not confusing at all! Thanks for your review :)

Swizzlestix- Haha, I never thought of it as Emeril! That'd be funny…..teehe. I'm hyper too. Thanks for reviewing, I'm glad you like this story!

iL0veHarry-Potter- Let me know when you post your story, I wanna read! I'm glad you like it, thanks for the review!

Mew- True, Jeff would have added another obstacle…it would have been interesting, but I think I've prepared enough obstacles for the poor Lily, most of them will be introduced later. And as for Sirius and Marina, I don't think they'll be in the next chapter, but possibly the one after that. I won't forget about them, don't worry! Thanks for reviewing.

Sarcasm is my life- Hmm, you're the first person to say that Lily is too mean to James. I can see it, but it's all supposed to be teasing, I did it at first to show a brother-sister like relationship, but then it kind of turned into flirting. So yeah, if it's getting in the way and there's something specific you want to suggest or point out then please go ahead. Thank you for the review and I'm glad you think my story is good!

Stargirlr- I would check out your story but you didn't sign it, so just to be sure, is your pen name stargirlr? I'm in need for a story :) And how did you like the club scene? Thank you for reviewing!

If I forgot you, tell me, I'm very sorry!


	29. Crossing the Line

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to J.K_

* * *

_Previously_

_Maybe she was taking this a little too far….she'd just see how things went with her and James, and maybe soon Mary and James' relationship would break. It certainly was fragile, and as Lily saw it, it was rocking dangerously, bound to fall anytime now. I mean, they couldn't last much longer…_

_Could they?

* * *

_

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Crossing the Line**

The hectic car zoomed into the driveway, stopping abruptly a few feet from crashing head on into a wall. With immense speed, a black haired teenage boy jumped out of the drivers seat to help the girl who was slowly making her way out of the passenger's side.

The ride to the Potter Mansion had been speedy and stressful, Lily feeling like her brain was thick, a bubbling cauldron and James nervous for his friend. They had pulled over only once, where Lily had…well, spilled her guts out . It was almost amusing how much James had tended to her- he had put her hair in a lose ponytail, sat her next to him, and let her squeeze the hell out of his hand until it had turned blue. Yet the incident only happened once, although Lily, as she stumbled up the stairs and into the mansion, felt the cauldron begin to bubble up again and was quite sure that it would happen again soon.

The frail night clung to their skin as they scampered up the stairs, glad for their early arrival for the fact that a drunk Lily wouldn't fly too well with James' parents. James opened the door as they rushed inside, Lily staggering behind him as he led her into the warm house. But the sudden change of temperature seemed to have a bad effect on Lily, and the travel up the stairs and into the bathroom was not an easy nor pleasant one.

As they made their way upwards, Lily had gone into a crazy babble about how once she had burnt the eggs when she was learning how to cook, or something along the lines of that. Honestly, James was too focused on getting Lily up the stairs without toppling over herself to listen to her, if it had been possible, anyway. He nodded occasionally to give the impression that he was listening to every slurred word that Lily threw out of her mouth. It seemed to be deceiving her, but that was not thanks to James' acting skills, rather the countless glasses she had poured down.

They finally arrived to James' wing, for lack of better words. Lily finally seemed to notice their surroundings, and a small smile flickered on her lips, her eyes rolling around as she observed the room for a moment.

"Oh, look, we're here." Lily said in an exhausted voice.

"Do you feel any better?" James asked as he held onto both her arms, afraid that letting her go might send her swirling out of control.

Lily broke an arm free from his grasp to make some confused gesture towards her stomach, "It hurts a little."

"Does it? Let's go to the bathroom."

"Why?" She asked aloofly.

"Just come."

With a little resistance at first, he dragged her into one of the bathrooms, flicking on the light and closing the door behind him, although he knew well that nobody would come in. The bathroom was small, pale white and spotless, smelling strongly of cleaning utensils.

"Why are we in a bathroom?" Lily asked with confusion as she propped her back against the door.

"Turn around," he ordered, which she did without question. Once again he tied her hair behind her back, then turned her over and for a fleeting moment observed the helplessness in her worn face. She almost looked like a rag doll, frail and limp, waiting for a command to move a joint.

He diverted his eyes as he took her by the hand and guided her to the front of the toilet. What now? She was just standing there like a car crash.

"Does it still hurt?" James asked as he sat himself on the counter top.

Lily looked up from her trance and nodded softly. His heart melted. Was it possible for a guys heart to melt? It obviously was…

Suddenly, Lily's bloodshot eyes got wider, and her hands sprang to clutch her stomach. Her knees, who had been shaking tremendously, gave in underneath her weight and she sank to the ground. James was already next to her, one hand intertwined with hers and the other on the shoulder.

It came again, the horrible feeling of your stomach lurching, of your insides spilling and having no control over your cowering limbs. It always helps to have a hand to hold tight in those situations.

By the time Lily had nothing left to get rid of, half a roll of toilet paper had been used and Lily could not get the trembling to subside. Throwing up had brought her back from her trance and back into some form of deranged consciousness.

James was sitting on the bathroom floor, back against the wall and legs sprawled out in front of him. Lily was leaning against him, head thrown by his shoulder, depending on his chest for any kind of support.

"Shit, what was I thinking?" She groaned as James handed her a roll of toilet paper for her to blow her nose on.

Lily was giving off small gasps of air, trying to fit in breathing in-between the fluctuating sobs. Her cheeks were tear-stained and her eyes were stinging painfully, but it really wasn't all that bad. James was there.

"It happens." He said.

Lily sighed and threw the toilet paper into the garbage can lazily.

James stretched his arms over his head and gave out a loud yawn, beginning to hint motions of getting up off the cold ground. Lily moved out of his way as he rose to a stand, then gratefully accepted the hand that he offered to help her up.

At first, as she had grown accustomed to in the past few hours, the room blurred and her head spun. In a matter of seconds, however, her sight had settled enough for her to make her way to her room in once piece. Just in case though, she was holding firmly onto James' shoulder as they made their way to her room.

The moment the door flung open she leapt inside and ran over to her bed, flopping violently and letting out a loud sigh as her head hit the pillows. James walked in with a bit more composure, but then again, he wasn't drunk. Lily's eyes were closed in attempt to find some kind of quick sleep and to alleviate the weight that was resting on her eyelids.

As he walked over to her dresser, he threw her a side glance over his shoulder. As soon as he noticed he skirt was in a position that gave him a good glimpse of her legs, he diverted his gaze as quickly as possible. Instead, James focused on fishing out a decent pair of pajamas for her so she wouldn't further taunt him with any exposed skin.

He tossed her a pair of long pants and sleeved pajamas, which landed on her head, forcing her to open her eyes. Lily looked at the pajamas before weekly tossing them back.

"I don't want to wear those, it's too hot." She groaned.

Stuffing the pajamas back into the drawer, he turned back around to her and said, "Alright, whatever. You want some medicine?"

Lily shook her head and patted the space next to her, "I want company."

Not knowing what else to do, James hesitated before walking over to her bedside and flopping down next to her. At first they said nothing, Lily lying with her eyes closed and James looking at Lily for any form of conversation they could pull off.

"If you're not going to change, at least take off your jewelry." James commented upon seeing the necklace still strung across her neck and her long earrings dangling.

Lily said nothing and began working on the clasp of her necklace, fumbling with it until it came loose. She slipped it off and placed it in James' outstretched palm. Her scrabbling fingers then worked at her earrings, and upon realizing that her hand-eye coordination was off, James took it upon himself to take them off. He placed the collected jewels on the bedside table before turning back to Lily, who only now wore a bit of smudged makeup.

James turned off the lights, deciding that the burning lamp might blind her delicate sight. Her eyes remained closed as if she hadn't realized the change of light, and they sat in the darkness and silence listening to nothing but their breathing. After a few minutes, Lily spoke so softly that it almost got lost in the silence, but she had clearly said, "My dad tried to kill me once."

"What?" James asked, shocked at what he believed his ears had just caught.

Lily groaned and rolled over so that her she was opposite of James' slightly stunned face. She cleared her throat and said in a stronger voice, "My dad tried to kill me once. You looked like you needed something to talk about." Lily explained with a hazy smile.

James didn't smile back, "What?"

"Did you not hear-"

"Of course I heard, and I understand but…you're kidding right?"

"Why would I?"

"It's just…when?" His curiosity interrupted.

"Last summer. "

"Oh."

"I thought you should know."

"Is there a reason you didn't tell me earlier?" James asked questioningly.

"No. I think it's because I'm half drunk. "

At this James did snort slightly, "Maybe." Then, with a more sympathetic voice, he said, " I'm sorry."

Lily gave a shrug before sinking into the blankets and closing her eyes, "Not your fault."

He kept his gaze focused on Lily and the shadows that had captivated her face. There were a million things he could say, a million things he could do that would each have their own effect…but it seemed that, even though it might not really be this way, there was only one correct answer. How was he supposed to know if Lily wanted to talk it out, wanted a hug, or just felt like leaving the sticky subject alone?

Yet before a suitable response formulated in his mind, a glimmering stain ridding slyly down her cheeks caught James' eyes. He didn't have time to curse the heavens for always being around when girls cried, as before he had a chance to think it over, James had already wiped the tears from her cheeks.

Lily, slightly startled, looked up in embarrassment.

Finally, she suddenly sighed and said, with a small, joyless laugh, "Fuck it, I give up! I give up trying to push crap behind and pretending it never happened."

Although dizzy, she pushed herself up straight and brought her ankle up near her lap. A large slash of skin was clearly a different shade; James could easily see it even through the lack of light.

"What happened there?" James asked in a concerned tone.

"That's where my dad stabbed me," She said indifferently. Lily didn't want to come off as melodramatic, as if she as doing this all for the attention, because she was certainly not.

James furrowed his eyebrows and locked eyes with her. Lily kept the eye contact, as if she was letting James read her like an open book, trying to prove that she was completely and wholly stable. Really, she was!

The emotion stored in Lily's eyes leaped from her and landed on him, captivating and flashing through him. Understanding, empathy, sadness, and possibly a spark of love. The emotions twirled, spun, ran and rolled through his mind, rendering it confused and out of focus as slowly a mist of anger began to boil within the depths of his stomach.

He couldn't even formulate the exact words to express why this anger was forming. James couldn't try and simmer it down, in fact, he couldn't even speak in fear of his voice sounding harsh. Why was it that he didn't need to know the man, see only a mark of his actions, to absolutely _loathe_ him? Loath was too light of a word. Why was he so overcome with _hate_ for this man? It's natural for any person to fully dislike a horrible man like Lily's father…but to hate him?

Maybe it was because he could see the years of violence slowly collected in and around Lily's eyes, carefully stored at the deepest part of her gaze, always there but never quite seen by others. That's what bothered him; wherever Lily looked, her father's image would always be haunting her, somewhere in the attic of her mind. But there was another reason…

_Maybe it's because you love Lily,_ his conscience whispered in his ear.

James must have been wearing quite a complex expression on his face, because Lily said in a low, concerned voice, "James…are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said absently.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to make you…sad? Mad? Whatever you are."

"Um…d-don't worry about it," he stuttered, looking down at the bed sheets, anything but Lily's inquisitive look.

After a moment of Lily trying to analyze him, she asked, "What's wrong?"

"I…I just. I just _hate_ him… and yeah, I know that it's a harsh word, but any other word would be too light. And I know I shouldn't hate him, and I try not to… but I can't help it," he admitted, ruffling his hair nervously.

"Don't do that," she said offhandedly before quickly saying, "But why do _you _hate_ him_?"

"I mean, look at what he did! I just…don't like it. It makes me mad."

As first grade as "It makes me mad" sounded, Lily found it kind of cute. She let out an affectionate chuckle and lifted her legs against her chest, resting her head on her knee, "Don't stress yourself out over it."

"You're not mad at me for hating him?" He said groggily.

"You can't bear to call him my dad, can you?" She observed.

"No," he admitted without shame.

"I hardly can't either." Lily admitted with a small smile. "I don't believe you hate him, really, hate is a strong word. But, if that's what you say…no, I'm not mad at you." But yet, she said it with a hesitation that James caught very easily.

"You're keeping something else in," he prodded.

Lily tilted her head to look at him, for a moment not saying anything and choosing her words very carefully. In the dark of the room, she really could hardly see any of him. The way the shadows kind of took over his face made him look slightly mysterious, which, seeing as she knew him so well, made her stomach do obnoxious amounts of flip flops.

"It makes me think." Lily said, an ounce of tentativeness still lingering her voice. But James knew the hesitation was dying down, and what she was about to say next was something that had probably been plaguing her mind for quite some time.

She finally looked straight at James and said, "You really like me don't you."

James' head shot up at this question, and although he could only make out a hazy figure, he could clearly imagine the gorgeous expression she was wearing. James didn't hurry to answer the question, he leaned his head on his hand, almost completely lying down on the bed.

He, too, took a moment to consider his options. Again, thousands of words he could say, thousands of ways he could say it, but only a few of those would be the answer she was looking for. Ultimately, he decided that he would tell her the truth, he was crazy for her. He really, really, _really_ liked her, and he had for a very long time. But, he wasn't going to say this exactly, while he wanted to be completely honest, James didn't want to sound _too_ desperate or obvious.

Actually spitting the words out of his mouth was much harder than coming up with the words. He knew the question itself was not, "Do you love me?". In fact, the words itself were not even suggestively romantic…but her voice. The way she said it, when she said, he knew it was not a simple question that could be answered either way.

Finally, he gave a nervous sigh and forced his gaze on her face, "Y-yeah. I do."

Obviously, this was the answer Lily was hoping to hear, because a dazy smile graced her lips before she sunk into her pillow, so giddy and overjoyed she said nothing. Her smiling was contagious; nudging a small smile onto James' face as he saw the one Lily was wearing. He dropped his head down to the pillow, facing Lily, who was staring at him with a smile still playing at her lips. Finally she closed her eyes.

Lily, now feeling drained and washed out, snuggled her head on James' shoulder and slung her arm over his chest, her finger tips brushing his neck; almost like a loose hug. James gulped. She didn't seem to notice or care how one of her smooth legs was practically tangled in his, how her soft lips brushed against his shoulder, or how she was absently stroking his neck, in small, subtle movements, sending waves of shivers down his spine with every sensual touch.

Mary never even crossed his mind, because to be completely honest, he was enjoying himself being the closest he'd ever been to Lily. James was staring at the hardly-there ceiling as he felt Lily's delicate fingertips whisper up his neck. Her thumb glided over the edge of his bottom lip, and she sighed. Without thinking, James trapped her hand in his larger one, and began feeling out each distinct part of her hand, the dips and curves, feeling out the lines in her hands and admiring her long, dangling fingers and the way they intertwined with his. Lily had now opened her eyes enough to watch James explore her hand, which before this, she had never known to be particularly interesting or beautiful, but the way James closed her hand and brought it to the cliff of his lips made her rethink every inch of her body. Lily admitted to herself, she had never had a boyfriend who made something so simple as her hand feel so incredibly beautiful.

It wasn't her lips that he was nipping at, giving soft kisses to, but still arose such an emotion in him that he wondered how great it would be to actually place a kiss on her lips- even just one. Mary had never made him feel like this, even when they…well, you know. Then how great would it feel to do that with Lily? The thought was strangely…nice. But he didn't think about it too long.

James dropped her hand reluctantly, placing it in its previous location around his neck. Lily gave a soft chuckle and closed her eyes again, not removing her hand from its position. Silence passed on in minutes, and finally, Lily gave a tired sigh and opened her eyes, lifting herself up slightly off the bed so she could easily see James.

"What's wrong?" James asked as he opened his eyes.

"I can't go to sleep now." She admitted.

"Why not?"

Lily shrugged and slipped back into the bed, "Not sure."

"Alright," James said groggily, turning on his side to face Lily, "are you sure you won't be able to sleep?"

Lily nodded.

"Then talk to me."

"About what?" She asked meekly.

"Whatever. Anything."

"Okay," she said slowly. Finally, Lily cleared her throat and put her head on his shoulder again, "I hardly remember my mom, even though I wish I could remember her more clearly. All I remember is that we used to take walks to the creek almost every day, when my sister was away at school and my dad was at work. About a year before she died, I remember that I'd stay up late at night because my parents would always be fighting. Even though their room was shut I could always hear it creeping through the walls."

"Then my mom died, I don't remember how I found out and what I did, although I wish I could remember that too. After that though, I never got along with my dad, he was a totally different person from then on. Petunia didn't help much either, I used to look up to her, but after seeing that my dad wasn't all too pleased with me, being the suck up that she is she went against me, too." Lily let out a long sigh, "It wasn't fun. By the age of nine I was cooking, getting groceries and six packs of beer for my dad that would drink it all usually in a day or so."

"Am I boring you?" Lily asked, making sure that she wasn't just droning onwards.

James shook his head, "No. Keep going."

"Alright. My dad would sometimes hit me around five years old, but they were simple things like slapping when I did something wrong."

"That's not simple," James interrupted.

"It was to me."

"Sorry, keep going."

"Alright. So then as I got older, and my father was more deeply involved in the fine art of drinking, hitting became harder and more often. It sucked. It was actually partly my decision to go to the attic; I couldn't stand having my room next to his. I had lots of bruises, but the strange thing is that the next day most of them would go away. I never suspected me being a witch, of course. I actually though it had been a joke Petunia had played when I received my letter. But Petunia is a horrible actress, and much too uncreative to come up with crazy names like that. But I had no way to get back to them, and half of me was still convinced it was still some kind of joke. Then one Saturday while my dad was working and Petunia was out partying or something, Hagrid came to hunt me down and took me to Diagon Alley. I was scared shitless." She chuckled a little before continuing, "It took a lot of convincing for me to let him drag me over to Diagon Alley. Even after I came home with all my school supplies, I still wasn't convinced that it had actually happened."

"Did you ever tell him you were going?" James asked.

"Yeah, the day before I left." Lily snorted, "He wasn't too happy when I came back the next year."

"What'd you think of Hogwarts?"

"I thought it was amazing, I knew that I'd find something there to call home. And even though my life seemed like hell, it was heaven compared to that house."

James looked ashamed, "I'm horrible."

"No you're not, you were just stupid. So was I. There's thousands of things I could've done that would have made my life so much easier."

"Good. I'm glad you don't hate me."

"How could I, with a cute little face like yours? Impossible." She said with a light laughter, ending the cold, serious air that had been wafted up by her long talk.

James grinned and pressed his face into her warm neck, as if he was trying to play hide and go seek.

Lily let out a bubbly laughter, "Stop acting five James, it's cute and all, but please!"

James shook his head slightly and refused to move. His muffled voice said, "Just go to sleep."

"I can't when you're all over me." She commented.

"I'm not all over you," James said against her neck.

Lily gave a small giggle upon his lips brushing against her neck, sending shivers down her spine, "Yes you are. Your hands are practically on my butt, your legs keep rubbing against mine, and you're basically kissing my neck."

"I'm not kissing your neck…but you know you like it."

Lily paused before saying, "I never said I didn't. I'm making an observation."

It was true, Lily felt guilty, but it was so incredibly true. She did like it. She did like being so close to him, she did like him rubbing his feet against her legs, she did like the way his hands were on her lower back, and she really liked the way he was almost kissing her neck…no….wait….

"What are you doing now?" Lily asked, failing to keep her voice from shaking.

"Kissing your neck."

She really liked the way he was kissing her neck. James was planting soft, subtle, tiny kisses right on the insides of her neck, almost so light for a moment Lily wasn't even sure they had been given. The pecks traveled up her neck in a slow, seductive fashion until they reached her ear.

James huskily whispered, "So, you like?"

Alright, so James didn't know what the hell he was doing, and somewhere in his mind between the hormones and images of hot looking girls, there was a place reserved for sense and good judgment. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but at this moment, that little part of his brain was out of order, taking it off for the night, letting the hormones take over the department.

Lily's mouth was gaping, even if she could have found the words to speak, she didn't have enough breath to do so. God, it felt _so_ good toeing a line that was not meant to be crossed…_so good!_

It was probably because she was drunk, and had conveniently fallen into a lapse of drunk stupor that she was even letting James flirt this much with her. When it hurts too much to think straight, you just go with impulse and generally feels good, and this felt….very nice.

"You have a girlfriend." She said meekly.

"I could care less at this point in time." He admitted, breathing heavily into her ear.

"I don't know what I'm doing, I'm too drunk to care, do whatever you want but I know you'll kick yourself later." She blurted quickly.

"Just once. Whatever is going to happen, it'll happen just this once."

"Right. Just once. G-get all the sexual tension over with and uhm…just once." She slurred.

"Right." James nodded slightly, biting his lip to contain himself.

"Yeah…" Lily said slowly as she turned on her side to face James, a small smile on her lips. "So…what is this anyway?" She asked drowsily.

"Hormones?"

"Okay. It doesn't matter anyway, I won't remember tomorrow will I?"

"No. But I will."

"You'll have to describe it to me in fullest detail tomorrow then."

"I don't think either of us will want to know."

"Shh…you don't have to say that. You're ruining the mood."

"The mood?" James smirked.

"Yes, the mood. Don't laugh at me!"

"I'm not laughing at you!" James retorted, chuckling. He scooted closer to her, his gaze never removing itself from Lily's face. Every warm exhale tickled over her exposed neck, making her shiver at how close he was to her.

"Yes you are," She said meekly under his spotlight, a shy smile lingering on her face as she hid it slightly in the ridges of the pillow.

James came closer still, "I'm sorry," His tone had suddenly turned soft, completely serious. Lily shivered at the way his voice entirely wiped the breath from her lungs.

At large, they both knew what all this flirting would end up in, and in a way they had known the moment they had stepped into the large room with blazing music and began their first dance.

Lily held her breath as James gently tucked a strand of stray hand behind her ear. Her heart seemed to pound louder, her head began to spin faster, her breath came at larger gasps as James slowly inched forwards.

"_Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God…." _Were all of Lily's thoughts as his lips skimmed hers.

It was enough.

Emotion was static, even without much contact massive explosions of desire jumped from lip to lip, craving for more contact, to become more familiar with this strange thing they were exploring. The crave was soothed as his lips came crashing into hers, sending chilly rivers down their spines, where they lost their minds in the flow of elation. Lily was now aware of how close they were, every small bit of skin that was against him felt satisfied and radiating, while every inch that wasn't begged to be included.

It had only been a peck, yet had stirred up so much emotion. James was able to evoke all different kinds of emotions, that innocent, almost cute, giggly one….and that not so innocent one.

Lily gulped, hearing both their breathing loud and fast paced, knowing that James was watching her intently, knowing that now there was not even a dream of going back…oh, yes, they had done it now…

Finally Lily got the nerve to look up at him, locking eyes and sending another wave of needed breath escape from her lungs. She was happy to see, however, the same look of shocked, mischievous want in James' eyes as she was sure was in hers.

Lily gave a small smile at the funny way life disguises it's gifts, the unpredictability it throws at you in heaps and bounds every time you turn another corner. But was this it? Was that one, mind-blowing small bit of a kiss going to be it for them? Were they going to leave it at that and cling at each other waiting around for someone make a move? Her body told her no. If she waited another minute for either of them to make a move, her brain might explode into a billion pieces.

It was so suddenly that she felt his soft lips caressing hers that she hardly even remembered moving closer. All she knew now was the mind-blowing sensation that was flowing through her body, the rekindled fire that was roaring inside of her. For months and months, feelings had slowly built up upon each other, eventually pounding on the inside of her body, pleading to break free. This very moment they had finally spilled, converting themselves into a passion and hunger that Lily had never felt before. But with each kiss the hunger was never satisfied, and left her craving for more, wanting to be closer, wanting _something, _but she wasn't sure what.

Kissing James Potter was better than Lily could have even began to dream of. They kissed hard, ardently, lips swimming in passion as they played against one another. His kisses were delicious, sweet, tantalizing and mind blowing, and even those words didn't do them justice. Half of Lily couldn't believe she was making out with James Potter, _James Potter! _Quiditch extraordinaire, Hogwarts' heartthrob, also her best friend. But she was. And she liked it so very, very much.

James' hands were currently sliding up and down her back as Lily's were tangled in his hair. Somehow, he had been pushed onto his back as Lily crawled on top of him, drunk and eager to take control, which James had absolutely no problem with. Her hands snaked out from his hair and traveled down to his chest, where she toyed with the buttons on his shirt, slowly unbuttoning the first few but going no further. When her tongue pleaded entry into his mouth, James, of course, didn't refuse, but was rather shocked at the assertiveness Lily was wearing.

Moments later his mouth roamed over her neck, then traveled up to her ear to give her another whispered message.

"I never knew you were so naughty." He teased.

Lily broke apart from him and let out a small giggle, "You better believe it."

James laughed as he sat himself up a little so that he was more at eye level with her. Lily bit her lip as they sat there for a few moments grinning at each other. Finally Lily let a small giggle slip out of her mouth, which made James smile wider.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm one of your bitches now." Lily said as she rested her head on the bare part of James' chest.

He began to play with her hair, stroking and twirling it as he held her close. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Lily angled her head into a position that she could look at him, "I always despised those girls you would take into the broom closet and snog, I always thought they were weak and despised them because it was so clear you were using them. It was one snog and then you forgot about them, and now I've joined the club." She said rather grimly, before lowering her head back to its previous position to avoid James' reaction.

"You're not like them." He protested after a moment of soaking her words in, trying to keep the desperation from his voice.

Lily looked up at him, "How?"

"W-well…" James knew how, of course, it was obvious that Lily was much different from the rest of the girls he'd snogged because of the large factor that he actually liked Lily. Not just liked, he considered her one of his best friends and couldn't imagine his life now without her. James was very well acquainted with her devilish, flawed side, as well as familiar with her perfected features that shone as brightly as the sun. The two were ridiculously close (even more so now), and he had never been (or hooked up) with a girl he actually would consider a friend.

"Well?"

James snapped back from his mist of thoughts. "Uhm…well, the girls I usually snogged I never talked to again. I never hung out with them, I completely forgot of their existence."

"James," Lily gave a sour chuckle, "I'm drunk. I'm not going to remember this and you know you're never going to bring it up. Don't try and say that you would have," Lily hushed as he opened his mouth, "because I know you too well."

For some time, James had almost forgotten that she as drunk, seeing as she was doing a very good job of acting sober. But the moon bleeding in from the window illuminated her eyes just slightly, and the glazed look in them gave away the fact that she had a bit too many drinks that night.

"Don't ruin the mood," he mocked affectionately.

Lily laughed softly, "Got me there." She leaned in slightly and planted a lingering kiss on his lips.

"Seems like you were pretty jealous of my previous snog buddies." James mumbled.

"I am, now that I know what I've been missing." Lily smirked before James pulled her into a deeper kiss.

James clasped her back and pressed her closer to him, deeply loving the feeling of excitement and the adrenaline rush that he got kissing Lily. They fed off each other, teasing and playing off the other's moves. James' hands would dig their way inside her shirt teasingly, each time inching up a bit higher. Eventually, her shirt lay forgotten on the floor as she snogged the brains out of a bare chested James, having so much fun she was sure it was illegal.

And even though it was merely hormone-driven heavy snog session between two best friends, in between the lust and thrill there was something else, lying in Lily's heart and mind that made her desperately wish that his were not just a one-night event. And if that wish was one too hard to grant, then she at least hoped that she could remember this night, grab it by the wings and cup it in her hands, holding it tight and close so she could observe it's beauty whenever she wanted to.

* * *

Ah! Sorry for not updating! I would go into this long explination about why I didn't update, but I have to go to school in about ten minutes….so anyway….WHAT DID YOU THINK? I didn't plan on making this happen, but I thought it would fit in well. I was planning to add a lot more fights and confusion, but decided too much drama would be overwhelming. So after this there's going to be one more BIG drama explosion, not many more as I had planned in the beginning. 

Someone said I should get a betta reader. I agree. So, if you beta (and are on often), drop me a line and tell me, and maybe you can beta me (heh). And explain to me how it works, because I don't know when it comes to that.

So…yeah! Thank you to EVERYONE who reviewed, sorry I don't have time to personally answer everything! Also, I'm going to be editing the first bunch of chapters, so don't be surprised if you see other updates today.

Thanks again for everyone who reads this! Tell me if you liked it or if I should change something, because I'm reaaaaaaaaallly nervous about this chapter.


	30. Good Morning Kisses

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: Yeah, JK owns what sounds familiar._

* * *

_Previously_

_And even though it was merely hormone-driven heavy snog session between two best friends, in between the lust and thrill there was something else, lying in Lily's heart and mind that made her desperately wish that his were not just a one-night event. And if that wish was one too hard to grant, then she at least hoped that she could remember this night, grab it by the wings and cup it in her hands, holding it tight and close so she could observe it's beauty whenever she wanted to._

* * *

**Chapter Thirty- Good Morning Kisses**

The moment James opened his eyes a fearful panic surged through his jittery body. He sat up straight in the air, looking around him to make sure that last night hadn't been a dream.

It hadn't.

James was only wearing his pants from last night, and as he turned to look at Lily, he realized that the only thing covering Lily's upper body was her bra, and it wasn't doing a very good job. Ironically, it was black lacy ones he had always teased her about.

James groaned and pulled at his hair, mentally kicking himself for being such a dumbass…but he had to admit, last night had been pretty damn fun.

_But he had kissed Lily!_

**No, **his conscience reminded him, **you snogged her brains out.**

He felt more panicky as Lily gave a slight turn, still deeply asleep.

_He had snogged the brains out of his best friend who was DRUNK and would otherwise never do that!_

**You also have a girlfriend.**

_SHIT!_ James felt kind of guilty, he had completely forgotten about her. _What the hell am I going to do?_

**Break up with her?**

_I can't do that!_

**Why perfectly not? You like Lily more, anyway. **

_But it would never work out. _

**You never know until you try do you? What, are you_ scared_?**

_NO! _

**Sure…**

"Shut up," James mumbled groggily.

**You're going crazy. You're talking to yourself. **

James groaned again and gave up, deciding to go and talk out his tangled love life to someone other than himself.

But in general, Sirius said the same thing as James' conscience did, except with more testosterone added into it. The conversation went on kind of like this:

James impatiently knocked on Sirius' bedroom door. You never know with that kid, it's better to knock.

"Who is it?" Sirius cried from inside.

"It's me, Prongs." James called back.

"Come on in!"

James anxiously burst through the door, stomping into the room.

"Hey mate, Happy New-"

"Not now Sirius. I'm in some deep shit." He said testily.

Sirius put his hands up in defense as James walked by, "Okay, fine, whatever."

James was about to plop down on Sirius' bed when he caught sight of a girl lying down on the bed in her pajamas with an amused look on her face.

"Who the hell is she!" James cried out desperately.

"James, Marina; Mariana, James."

"Oh, right." James said, recalling the name.

"Yeah. Excuse me love, but I'm need to have a man to man talk with Pr-James here."

"No problem. I'll just go make myself some tea and let you help him with his girl problems." She laughed as she threw her legs over the bed.

"Thank you dear." Sirius said, patting her butt as she walked past him. Reflexively, she slapped his hand lightly, sending him a mock disapproving look over her shoulder as she walked out the room.

As soon as the door shut, James returned into panic mode.

"Alright, lets start out my telling me what happened." Sirius started rationally.

James flopped onto the bed violently and put a pillow over his head.

"No." Said his muffled voice.

"What did you do…" Sirius pressed.

"I'm screwed." He groaned.

"Yes, you got that fact across quite well. Now, care to tell me exactly why? You know, I could be making out with my girlfriend right now."

At hearing that dreaded 'm' word, James groaned again.

"Since we're not getting anywhere, I'm going to have to guess, aren't I?" Sirius sighed.

James nodded.

"Okay. Umm…last night…you….shagged someone."

James shook his head.

"Got mugged? Got high? Got drunk?"

He shook his head to all three guesses.

Sirius thought a moment, "Well, did you at least make out with someone?"

James hesitated a moment before nodding.

"Yeah, boy!" Sirius grinned wildly and threw a high five, which James returned unenthusiastically, "Why's that a problem?"

"I have a girlfriend!"

"So? Never stopped you before."

"Mary was supposed to be my first serious girlfriend!"

"Old habits die hard. Plus, face it mate, you don't really like her that much."

"I knoooow…." James sighed.

After a moment of Sirius silently interrogating James, he spoke up again, "That's not all, is it?"

"Not even the beginning."

"Alright, keep going."

"Well, first off, guess who it was I made out with."

"Do I know them?"

James snorted, "Hell yeah."

"Leah?"

"No, you dumbass."

"Lily, you made out with Lily!" Sirius jumped up and cried with excitement.

James said nothing and covered his head in his hands.

"NIIIIIICE!" Sirius grinned, and put out his hand for another high five, which wasn't returned.

James removed his hands from his face and admitted sheepishly, "Yeah…."

After a moment of silence, Sirius eagerly asked, "So tell me, is she a good kisser?"

James looked at Sirius with disgust, "What, you like her like _that_?"

"Me? Hell no. But you know, she is hot, despite that she's like a sister to me and everything..," he shuddered slightly. "Anyway, I've always wondered. Never wanted to figure out first hand. "

"Psh. She's great."

"Really?"

"Really."

"How far did you go?"

"I told you, we made out." He repeated irritably.

"Well yeah, but there's different levels of making out…come on mate, do I have to explain it to you?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know what you mean…" James trailed off hesitantly.

"Uh oh. How far did you go with our delicate Lilikins?"

"Erm…"

"Tell me."

"Uh…"

"You took her shirt off didn't you?"

"…How the hell do you do that?"

"I just know, I just know. Niiice. Real nice. Surprised she even kissed you, what did you put into her drink?" He teased.

"Right, now we get into the bad part."

"_You got her drunk!"_ Sirius shouted, eyes ridiculously wide.

"I didn't get her drunk, she somehow found herself a million bottles of Merlin to get friendly with!"

"I cannot _believe_ you let her get drunk!"

"You think I _let_ her? We went to dance with other people for a while, and next thing I know she's giggling like mad and all over me!"

Sirius let out an aggravated sigh, "Okay, sorry. It's just weird to think of Lily drunk, first off, and kissing you."

"Weren't you the one who said you could see us together?"

"Of course, but now that it's actually happened, it's hard to get used to."

"Hey, it hasn't happened yet. Lily's not going to remember anything about last night, thankfully." James muttered.

"How do you know?"

"Well, that's usually how it goes…"

"Hey man, you never know." Sirius shrugged.

"She won't remember." James assured himself.

"Whatever."

The two friends sat glumly there for a moment before Sirius let out a chuckle, "Wow, this is so weird."

"I never thought we'd actually have this conversation." He responded in agreement.

"I never thought Lily would get drunk."

"Never thought Lily would ever make out with me."

"I did." Sirius said indifferently.

Ignoring the last comment, James sighed and asked, "So what do I do now?"

"About what?"

"Well," James cried in exasperation, "everything!"

"If you seriously think she's not going to remember, you don't really have a problem, do you?"

"_I_ still remember everything."

"So?"

"So now whenever I see Lily I'll start thinking of her…like…"

"Prongs, don't give me that bullshit. You're already to far in to back out and pretend to be just friends crap. You made out with her while she was drunk, you better take the consequences!" Sirius lectured.

James just groaned.

"Be a big boy. Be nice and break up with Mary. You're being selfish."

"How?" James exclaimed.

"You're making Mary hopeful, and you're making Lily wait."

"Okay…I'll give it three weeks with Mary and see how it goes, okay?"

"Three weeks? Hell no! One week."

"Two weeks."

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three days!"

"One week!"

"Alright, fine, one week." Sirius gave up with a smirk.

A few seconds later, James realized what the tricky smirk was for, and beamed a pillow at Sirius head.

"You bastard!" James shouted teasingly.

"Don't hate my genius. Now, if I were you, I'd go and make sure Lily doesn't' remember."

"If she does?"

"Then you've got three days."

James bit his lip and nodded, "Alright. I'll catch you later?"

"Yep."

With that, James gave a little wave goodbye and walked over to the door, traveling down the stairs, into the fireplace, and into the living room of his house. There, in the kitchen were both his parents happily content, eating their breakfast with a childish smile on their face.

"Oh, there you are James!" His mother cried and stood as James entered the kitchen.

"Hello, mum. Happy New Years!" He greeted as he let his mother sweep him into a bone-crushing hug.

"Happy new years," she said before giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Happy New Years son," his father said as James walked over, ruffling his hair, which really didn't make it any worse.

"You too dad."

"Where's Lily?" His mother asked as she sat back down on her chair, diving into the pancake on her plate once again.

"Er…still sleeping, I think." James said hesitantly as he opened the refrigerator and pulled out two pale white eggs.

"Honey, would you like some pancakes instead?"

"No," he replied absently, "these are for Lily. Scrambled eggs are her favorite breakfast food."

"Oh," Mrs. Potter smirked.

James didn't notice his parent's knowing trade of glances as he pulled out a pan and began to cook the eggs.

"So, how was last night?" Mr. Potter spoke up.

"Fun," James answered absently-mindedly.

"That's good."

"Yep," James replied as the eggs began to sizzle deliciously.

His parents gave up on trying to create a conversation with the distracted boy and went back to their eating. A few minutes later, the toast popped and the eggs were ready, and in a flash James was gone, carrying a tray and a plate of food in his arms.

As soon as he was out of sight, Mrs. Potter turned and began to laugh silently. Mr. Potter, too, was chuckling slightly, but more at his wife than his teenage son.

"They're so cute. Do you think they'll ever date?" she sighed wistfully.

"Him and Lily?"

"Who else?"

"Dunno. Possibly." Mr. Potter shrugged.

"I can see the way he looks at her, it's so adorable!"

Too engrossed in his taste buds to really listen, he just shrugged again.

"Ugh, you boys don't get anything." Mrs. Potter exclaimed, throwing a napkin at her husband.

"Sorry," he replied with his mouth full. Mrs. Potter just rolled her eyes.

The first thing Lily noticed when her eyes fluttered open from their deep sleep was the immense pain throbbing through her head. In attempt to make it subside, she closed her eyes again and tried to snuggle back into wanted sleep. Yet the headache throbbed harder than ever, and she reluctantly opened her eyes and looked around the room.

The second thing she noticed was that she had no idea what was going on. Lily felt like she had woken up to her mind being a whirlpool of confusion, lost ideas and thoughts swirling about in her head in strange codes she could not decipher. Her mind was too fatigue to try and remember the last thing she had done, so she gave up without trying, accepting the confusion for now and wallowing in it.

The third thing she noticed as her eyes dimly skimmed the sun-illuminated room, was that her shirt was lying halfway across the room, scattered carelessly on top of her mirror. Nervously, Lily looked down at her chest to find that in fact she was only wearing her bra, and quickly covered herself up with her blankets nervously.

What _had_ happened?

She searched the room for any possible clues, biting her lip nervously, feeling like a player in a murder mystery game. Lily's eyes found her eyes looking at a calendar, and it was that that triggered the fact that yesterday had been New Year's Eve. But what had she done yesterday?

Before Lily got a chance to further analyze her mysterious situation, the door burst open with a loud BANG, making her jump and pull the covers up to her chin.

James walked into the room, carrying the tray and plate of eggs and toast. Lily let out a sigh of relief, a sense of comfort and stability entering her as she saw that all-too familiar face.

Then remembering her shirt was off, she squirmed and dug herself deeper into the covers. James set the steamy breakfast on the desk before walking over to Lily's side.

"How ya feelin'?" He asked softly, a drop of awkwardness in his voice.

"Why does my head hurt so much, and why can't I remember why I'm here?" She asked groggily.

James sighed loudly, "Think as hard as you can, what do you remember?"

He waited impatiently as Lily searched the contents of her mind.

"We went somewhere," she finally concluded after a moment.

"We went to a club. Do you remember that?"

She tried to fish up a wisp of a memory, and an image of bright lights and blazing music filled her mind. Memories like pictures flew through her mind, a scene of risky dancing, one of a handsome man with a drink in his hand, one sitting on the curb of the parking lot staring at the sky, and the last of James' arms around her as they sat on the cold bathroom floor.

"I remember the place," Lily confirmed, leaving out the rest of her visions.

"You found yourself, somehow, with a bunch of drinks in your system. I didn't realize until you were too drunk to do anything about it. I'm sorry." He told her shamefully.

Lily shrugged, still rather shocked that she had been drunk in the first place. Her, _Lily Evans_? The idea seemed almost too weird to grasp, and if it wasn't for the fact that she was obviously experiencing a hangover, Lily would have waved the ridiculous thought away.

"I'm still confused…why isn't my shirt on?" She questioned.

James took a nervous gulp and looked away from her.

"Uhm, y-your shirt is off? I didn't notice."

Lily managed to smirk, "Clearly. Care fetching it for me?"

James mutely fished the shirt off from the mirror and tossed it to her, which she quickly threw over her head before he had a chance to see anything.

"I feel like shit," she then pouted.

"Well, I made you breakfast!" James exclaimed happily, throwing on a smile to cover the nervousness that was running through his body.

"You did?" Lily said softly, a smile pouring onto her face as she saw the steaming eggs on the plate.

"Yeah, you're favorite." He said proudly as he set up the tray over her lap, and then setting the delicious looking food on it.

Lily, beaming through her dreary mist, looked at James who wore a proud facial expression. Something about him, Lily wasn't sure what, was different. Not physically, just the way she perceived him…it felt like she was looking at him from a whole different perspective. There was something else that James was conveniently leaving out. What was it, and why?

"Thank you so much!" Lily cried, extending her arms to receive a hug.

James hesitated slightly before sweeping her up into a bone breaking wrap, deciding to give up on the awkward sensation and returning back to the flirty James he usually was around her. He desperately wished he would stop acting so nervous around her! If he didn't, James wouldn't be able to find his breath whenever she smiled, or exposed a bit of skin, or laughed, or kissed him on the cheek, or hugged him, or sat next to him, or leaned on him, or walked in the room. Which was a lot of the time, and he kind of needed to breathe.

Lily let out a small giggle as he knocked her backwards some. James then planted a quick kiss on her cheek, completely and totally innocent. However, the moment James' lips contacted her skin, it triggered a fond forgotten memory from a vault in Lily's mind.

Wide-eyed and speechless, last nights events played back in her imagination, the events sketchy and the colors washed out like an old film, but the emotions she had felt at that time surged vibrantly and very clearly through it all.

James took her silent shock as the after effect of alcohol, and started to make his way out of the room.

"Are you good?"

Lily nodded as she slipped the first serving of egg into her mouth like a zombie.

"Can I go?"

She nodded again.

"Alright, I won't be gone to long, I just have to go give a holiday greeting to… someone."

"Who?" Lily asked curiously through her trance, knowing full well the answer.

"Mary," he dropped quickly before rushing into his next sentence, "I won't be gone long, okay?"

Once again, Lily bobbled her head to show her comprehension.

"Bye, feel better," James said before disappearing through the doorway, leaving a heavy-hearted Lily alone to ponder what thoughts were traveling through his mind.

Mary held her breath nervously as she peered her head over the stairs, sneaking a glance at the mahogany wood table set for three. Two occupants were already seated- her father and soon to be stepmother, making small talk as they waited for Mary to arrive.

Even though it was only the three attending the dinner, her father had instructed her to wear expensive clothing, most probably to impress his future wife. Although Mary accepted well enough that the stranger would be married to her father, the fact that she would be her mother had not quite fully reached her yet.

Taking a deep breath, Mary walked slowly down the stairs, impressing a small smile on her lips as she did so. Although she wasn't at all happy about the woman becoming part of their family, she had to honor her fathers decision, didn't she? After all, Mary did not want to embarrass him in front of his fiancé.

So she sat dutifully on the hard wooden chair, silently pecking away at her food while the two adults made small, adult conversation. Finally, the strangers seated across from her, with her brown hair pinned in a bun with eloquent jewels, directed a comment towards Mary.

"So, Mary darling, how is James?" Stephanie asked her casually.

She looked up in surprise, "Very good, ma'am."

"I've told you many times to call me mother, I am going to be so in a few months, you know." She snapped irritably.

"Yes…mother." Mary said hesitantly, the words sounding queer as they rolled off her tongue.

The woman gave a cold smile, "So, he's doing well? That's very good. You know, a woman needs a sophisticated and intelligent man to care for her," Stephanie gave a sly smile at her father.

"_You left out rich,"_ Mary thought, _"After all, that's why you're marrying my father, isn't it?" _

"Your mother is right," her father agreed, "James Potter comes from a very well-off family, he will do you very well."

"You make it sound like we're getting married," Mary said softly.

"Well, that wouldn't be to bad, would it?" Stephanie's laughter came out like the call of a screeching bird, "James Potter is quite a trophy, so to speak. Keep up the good work and you might land in a pot of gold!"

The two adults howled together in laughter like hungry dogs. Then, Mary's father added, "Indeed. Mary, honey, good grades are very nice and all, but your true accomplishment will be marrying off to a wealthy, good man. Don't do anything rash and spoil it with James, will you?"

Not knowing what her answer was supposed to be, she just smiled, letting them take of her smile what they would. Minutes later she quickly excused herself and scurried away to her room, quickly slipping into her pajamas and hiding beneath the fluff of covers.

With every rhythmic tick of the second hand, time drifted away as she impatiently waited, although what she was awaiting was beyond her. Every sudden noise made her jerk her head to the fire, maybe in hopes to see James' head peaking in for a New Years greeting. Or maybe she was waiting to hear the shuffling footsteps of her parents as they made their way to their bedroom. Possibly, she was just waiting for the clock to strike twelve so that she could greet the New Year uneventfully.

She never knew the time she eventually drifted off to sleep, all she was aware of by the time her eyes fell shut was that she missed James terribly. Mary had gotten her hopes up that, when the New Year came around, James would come rushing into her room and sweep her up, spending the rest of the night romantically together, sharing deep thoughts and dreaming together about the future. Although when the morning light finally seeped in through her open window, she looked around and did not find James, then gently chiding herself for being so hopeful to begin with. James and her had never had that kind of relationship! They were lovers, girlfriend and boyfriend, but in a way they were not really friends at all. They were not able to hold a conversation that long, at least, not a incredibly interesting one.

However, James did eventually arrive, after Mary had taken a warm bath and dressed in some modest clothing to her evening outing to London with her parents. Luck assured that she was there, fixing up her hair meticulously in a full length mirror, when James popped through the fire place.

Mary gave a screech of surprise as James stumbled out of the fireplace, lifting himself up and dusting away the ashes. He was wearing a foolish, charming grin as Mary rushed towards him with glee and embraced him warmly.

James, with a sudden wave of guilt fluttering through his body, tried to redeem himself by pecking Mary on the lips. She received it gratefully and her smile widened noticeably, but that simple kiss had torn James to pieces.

It was that moment that a light shone upon Mary, revealing even the girl's smallest of details. James was easily able to pinpoint every difference between Mary and Lily, and although he did not like comparing the two girls, his mind involuntarily did so. James evaluated the way their eyes glimmered, their hair, their smile and laughter, and of course, their kisses. Whether this piece of information was good or bad, James did not know, but he was very sure that kissing Lily had been much more of a pleasurable, exciting experience than the dull kiss Mary was giving.

"Hey there, baby." James found himself cooing as Mary broke apart from him, still holding onto his hand.

"Hi," she smiled seductively, "Where were you last night? I was hoping maybe you'd join me."

"I was out with friends, sorry." It was hard not to forgive James' seducing hazel eyes.

"It's okay honey," Mary put on another smile and fixed a kiss on his perfect lips. "How was your New Year?"

"Pretty exciting." James said with an amused laughter. Oh, if only she knew…

"That's good."

"Yeah…uh, how was yours?"

"Fine, although you're going to have to make it up to me for your absence last night," she said with a wink as she snaked closer.

"Oh, am I?" James asked, trying to keep his grin from faltering with the weight of his guilt.

"Mhmm…"

Before James was able to do anything about it, Mary had tangled arms around him and was trying to invoke in them a passionate kiss. James, who could only remember Lily's soft lips at that moment, returned the kiss only because he felt dirty and sinful…although it was deliciously so.

But girls can tell when their kisses are halfhearted, and Mary could very well tell that James' mind was on something else…someone else. She broke their kiss minutes later, giving a soft, fragile smile as James seemed to pop out of his trance and looked at her with eyes of confusion.

"I have to go to London soon…I'll…I'll see you later then." Mary gave him a quick fleeting smile and kissed his cheek.

Feeling a bit dejected, James stuttered, "O-okay. Later then."

"I love you," she blurted, her eyes widening as she realized what had popped out of her mouth. Mary had so many times before told him that three word phrase, but never had the reply mattered so much.

James stared at her for a moment, contemplating what he was to say next. Although the hesitation was so small and minimum it was hardly there, it was enough, and Mary certainly caught it.

"I love you too," he said, a heartbeat too late.

With one last, heart broken smile, Mary turned away and moved towards the door, so James wouldn't be able to see her dreary face.

James slowly turned himself back to the fire as well, slipping himself into the portal, muttering his destination as he willed himself to spin faster, to get back to Lily, away from the stage of romance gone horribly wrong.

The moment James had left, Lily had stumbled through her bedside table to find a quill and some parchment, coincidentally, running into the unused quill she and Leah had bought at the beginning of the year. With fond memories of Leah at mind, she wrote her friend a quick, confusing letter, adding to "meet up" with their quills at 9:30 so that they could talk.

The whole day the headache had not completely subsided, although she was very good at covering up when James' parents were around, and sometimes she was so preoccupied bickering with James that she almost forgot about her previous drunkenness. The fact that she had made out with James Potter never did escape her mind however; she replayed the vague event over and over again until it was completely washed out. The memory was even more prominent when James walked into her room with only a towel around his waist, or when he found his pants but insisted on not wearing a shirt, or when he was eventually fully clothed but looked irresistibly charming anyway. Basically, the whole day Lily lived in constant agony, wishing she could snake her fingers through his hair at anytime, to press her face against his chest and kiss his delicious warm skin.

But she was very, very good at controlling herself. Still, however, the day did not go on without some shameless flirting…

Lily peaked in through the slight opening in the door. Peering around the room with the one eye she could fit in the crack, she made sure James was somewhat decent before she ran into the room. James was located comfortably on his bed when she barged in, deeply engrossed in a book. He looked up when Lily entered loudly, not bothering to greet him or knock, just scurrying into the room and hopping next to him as if the floor was made of burning coals.

James shut his book upon Lily's arrival, tossing it to the side and focusing his attention on her. Lily looked up at him with a smirk, speaking not a word, but her sparkling eye saying everything.

"Hey, hot stuff." James laughed.

"Hi," she returned.

"How's life?" He asked, his fingers finding themselves entertained with a strand of her hair.

"Okay."

"How's your head feeling?"

"Okay."

"Good."

"Mhmm."

"Are you done packing?"

"No, are you?"

"No."

Lily smiled, "Didn't think so."

"You know me too well,"

"Oh, there's plenty I don't know." Lily said with a smirk.

"That's true. Care to find out?" He asked teasingly.

Lily let out a laugh, "Maybe some other day. I just came in to say I'm going to bed," she declared.

"It's nine fifteen!" He exclaimed loudly.

"Yes, and I'm tired."

"So you're going to leave me all alone for the rest of the night?" He whined.

"You could go to sleep. You need to get up early to do last minute packing."

James groaned loudly, "I don't want to."

"You baby," She teased, "Don't come crying to me when we need to leave in five minutes and you still haven't gotten dressed."

"I won't, just stay with me for fifteen more minutes!" He pleaded, tugging at her arm as Lily tried to get up.

Lily gave a sigh of defeat, "Okay, I'll stay ten more minutes."

"Thanks love." James grinned happily as Lily lay down next to him.

"So," Lily began, "how was your day?"

"Good. Yours?"

"Okay. How was Mary?" She asked casually.

_Way to go Lily. You know exactly what to say to make a guy like you. _

James shrugged, trying to find the words, "It was…okay, I guess."

"Just okay?"

"Just okay," he confirmed.

"Oh," Lily said indifferently, but inside she was gleaming with happiness over James' loss of attraction.

"Are you feeling better?" James asked her sympathetically.

Lily nodded, "I do. Thank you so much for looking after me when I'm a mess."

"No problem," James smiled.

"Just so you know, if you ever get drunk beyond your wildest dreams, I'll take care of you." She assured him.

"Thanks, that's always good to know."

"It is. And when I have my own apartment, I'll let you borrow the couch to sleep on when you're drunk."

"You mean I don't get to share the bed with you?" James teased.

"You could, but your wife might get suspicious."

"My wife? I have a wife? How old is this scenario you're playing at?"

"My couch will be open for you until I'm dead. And yes, I imagine you having a wife. She wouldn't be very happy." Lily informed him mockingly.

"Oh, but she wouldn't have to know, would she?" James mumbled, inching forwards so that Lily's head was resting near his neck.

"I guess not." Lily sighed happily and closed her eyes.

They lay there in silence; Lily curled up against him, back to his chest, head in the curl of his neck. Finally, James spoke up in a tired mumble, "I hope my future wife isn't as uptight and anal as Mary."

Lily, eyes wide and amused, turned to look at James, who looked at her with eyes of laughter. Lily began to erupt into fits of giggling, surprised at his comment but finding it comical nonetheless.

"I hope so too," she chortled. Then, turning over completely on her side, she asked more seriously, "Do you even like Mary anymore?"

James let out a troubled sigh before answering, "I guess. I mean, not nearly as much as I used to…she bores me sometimes."

"Do I bore you sometimes?" Lily asked innocently.

James gave a soft smile, "No."

"Good. I don't want to be boring." She stated satisfactorily.

"You're far from it."

With a pleased smile she casually asked, "Are you going to break up with her?"

James, starting to feel a little awkward, said, "I'm not sure. Sometime soon, I think, but I'm giving it a little time."

"Well, why are you giving it a little time? What are you waiting for?"

He shrugged, "I'm not sure."

"I don't think your waiting. I think you're stalling." She told him.

"Stalling for what?"

"I'm not sure," Lily admitted, "but you're stalling for something. Do you have another girl in mind?"

Lily mentally kicked herself, stapled her fingers together, pulled out every single hair out of her scalp. Was she really that dumb?

If James told her the truth, he'd be screwed. If he said no, he'd still be screwed. He settled for the in between answer.

"Maybe," he said innocently.

"You know what? I know that was a yes kind of maybe, but I'm not going to ask who, because I don't want to know. I'm just going to go put on my pajamas and go to sleep already, before I say anything else stupid, okay?" She rambled, sitting up abruptly.

"That wasn't ten minutes!"

"Yes, I know, but I think I should probably go. "

"Noo…" he whined some more.

"Yes. Now good night," she bent down and kissed his forehead.

"Night," James sighed, capturing her face with his hands and lowering her cheek to his lips so he could plant a quick peck on it.

"I'm waking you up bright and early, okay?"

"Sounds good,"

"Okay then, good night." Lily called to him from the door.

"Night love," he responded, feeling the words 'I love you' almost instinctively bubble out of his mouth. He bit his lips and caught them though, and instead just smiled.

Lily smiled back before slipping out of the room and closing the door behind her. As soon as it clicked shut, she gave out a long sigh, her hands still lingering on the doorknob as she felt the instinct to run back to him and hide behind his strong arms.

She reluctantly let her hand slip from the knob and made her way to her room, even though she was fighting not to run backwards. As soon as she got into her room Lily spun around, slammed it shut and locked it quickly, wanting to keep temptation out.

After getting ready for bed, she sat down carefully onto her bed, snatching her quill from her bedside as well as a parchment. Lily glanced at the clock, it was 9:28, Leah should be there any second.

Growing impatient, Lily began to write on the parchment, hoping that Leah had arrived by now.

_Hey Leah…you there?_

Lily stared back at the paper, waiting impatiently for an answer. A few blank seconds, and Lily began to felt ridiculously stupid. Suddenly, however, words began to form underneath her print:

**Lily darling! I'm here. So, pleeeease tell me what's been going on! You were horrifyingly vague in your letter.**

Lily nervously tapped her quill on the parchment, wondering how she was going to describe it to her friend.

_You already know that James and I went to a club, right? _

**Right.**

_Well, it turns out I got drunk. Don't ask me how, I don't really remember all too well…but what I do remember…damn…_

**Good damn or bad damn?**

_Good damn. Really, really, really good damn. _

**Wow. I can still hardly believe you got DRUNK. You, Lils, drunk? I can imagine it well…it just doesn't make sense. Ah well, continue. Why is this damn so good? Let me guess…James?**

_God, yes. Leah…I feel like a huge dork…getting all mushy for a guy…_

**It happens. It's not bad. What did he do?**

_You should have seen him, he was so sweet…I was throwing up like crazy and the whole time he was with me. God, I love him…_

Lily reread those last three words in shock the minute she finished reading it, and quickly moved into cross them out. But too late, Leah had read it.

**What?**

_Shit. I seriously didn't mean to write that down, ignore it. _

**Do you love him? **

_No! …I don't know. _

**Why not?**

_I don't know what love feels like. _

**I think we all know, deep down, what love feels like. **

_Whatever. Leah, I haven't even gotten into the main reason why I'm stressed…_

**God. You mean it wasn't you being drunk?**

_That's partially it…I made out with James. _

Lily scribbled the words quickly and frantically. Leah's answer was a bit delayed, probably from her mouth gaping.

**Are you fuckin' serious?**

_Uh-huh. _

**Do you regret it? **

_Not one bit. I feel kind of guilty, but I don't regret it one bit._

**Then yay! Is he a good kisser?**

_Leah!_

**I have my own sexy man, I won't steal yours! Now tell me! **

_He's not my man…_

**You're avoiding the question. Is he?**

_Leah, you have no idea how good…_

**Ha ha. Aw, Lily likes Jamsie…**

_Shut up, you're so juvenile. _

**Yeah mhm right. You're jealous of my maturity. **

_Caught me…anyway. Moving on from your maturity, we've got a few problems. _

**Naturally. James is still with the bitch, right?**

_Right. He hasn't broken up with Mary yet! And it's annoying because I know he doesn't like her that much and I'm going CRAZY over here. And second, he thinks I don't remember anything. Which I do. Quite obviously. _

**Have you actually told him that you like him? In words?**

_Leah, I made out with him, I think that goes beyond words. _

**But you know, it becomes more real when you actually say it. And really, when things aren't communicated it leaves plenty of space for misinterpretation.**

_Well, what am I supposed to do, just go up to him and be all, "Hey James, I like you. Will you break up with Mary now?"_

**Well, no…**

_Then how?_

**Lily, you're smart, I'm sure you could figure it out. **

_That just means you're wrong but don't want to admit it. _

**No, it means I need to think about it some more. Does James know you know?**

_That's the other problem, he doesn't think I remember._

**Are you going to tell him you do?**

_No._

**Why?**

_That'd be weird. _

**I guess. Well, then what are you going to do?**

_Wait for him to break up with Mary? _

**How do you know it'll be that easy?**

_Life hasn't been too nice to me lately. It'll let me have at least this, right?_

**Not necessarily. Don't count on it, Lily, things rarely ever go out that smoothly. **

_Leah, I don't know how it could get more complicated, really, it'll sort itself out. Trust me. _

**Lily, JUST remember what I said. Don't count on things being that simple. Ever. **

_I will, and you remember what I said. It'll work out. _

**Okay hun, whatever you say. So. Anything else? **

_Nothing important. How was your New Years? _

**Interesting. Informative. Did you know that there's such a spell that can make you grow three breasts on your neck?**

_Ew. No. Do I want to know?_

**Oh, I think you do…**

Lily and Leah lapsed into a thirty-minute conversation, talking about Leah's New Years and the crazy men and woman of the hospital. Eventually, however, Lily was fighting to keep herself awake, and reluctantly signed herself goodbye and slipped into bed, welcoming a lavishing sleep that filled her with comfort and relief. The next day when she woke, Lily was feeling significantly better, and was in a great mood now that her confusion had drastically cleared.

James however was not a morning person, as Lily was unfortunate enough to find out…

"Jamsie, wake up…" Lily cooed into his ear.

Lily was lying next to James on his bed, leaning on one arm as she tried to nudge him awake.

"James…"

From inside the covers, he groaned, turning over on his other side and hiding his face further under the covers.

"Leave me alone…" he mumbled incoherently.

"James, wake up, you need to get packed." She said more assertively, now grabbing his arm and shaking him.

"Noooo…" he droned, turning again.

"Yes. Wake, I tell you, wake!" She cried, grabbing the pillow from over his head and throwing it onto the floor. James reacted by rolling into a little ball and putting the covers over his head.

"Fine! You leave me no choice!" Lily exclaimed, getting off the bed and heading towards the wall.

James curiously opened one eye, and seeing that she was heading for the light switch, cried frantically, "NO!"

Lily, however, had already flipped on the light before he got to protest, and James began to screech, the light burning his eyes.

"You evil, evil woman…" he groaned, covering his eyes with both his hands.

Lily laughed as she sat on the edge of his bed, watching with amusement as she willed, "Come on James, get up."

With reluctance, James turned on his side to face her.

"Good morning," he said groggily, "you're looking good today."

"James, I haven't brushed my hair and I'm still in my pajamas."

"I know that."

Lily willed away a blush, but she couldn't help but smile. "You're looking handsome yourself…with your messy hair and white shirt. You sexy devil, you."

James grinned, "Can I have a good morning kiss?"

Lily chuckled and pecked his cheek. "Now do _I_ get a good morning kiss?"

James sat up on his elbows, "Do you want one?"

"I do."

Lily's teasing smile dropped into a stunned look as the flirty aura changed into a much more serious one. Sober and looking completely gorgeous, James resisted the temptation to kiss her lips as he delicately lifted her chin with his thumb. He made this thought obvious as he stared at her lips with appeal, before lifting his eyes to her shocked ones. He settled for her forehead instead, but he had still effectively shocked Lily speechless.

"Well," Lily mumbled after a moment of silence, "I think we should give good morning kisses more often."

James chuckled, "I agree."

"But right now you must pack…we're going to leave in about an hour, so hurry up." She said quickly, getting off the bed, recovering awkwardly as she backed away to the door.

James grinned at her, guiltily enjoying her nervousness. "Bye love," he taunted.

"Bye," she said meekly before quickly disappearing behind the door.

God, she hated his calm and collected attitude. When she was panicking inside (and clearly displaying it outside), James was wearing his slick grin and looking ever so composed.

Sometimes, Lily felt like maiming that smirk of his. His charming, lop sided, stomach flopping, ridiculously sexy smirk…

* * *

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I got such positive comments, I hope this chapter brought up last chapter's events well enough. Review and tell me how I did!

As for betta reader, I think I know who I'm going to ask, but just one more question: would the betta reader automatically change the grammar/spelling errors and send it back corrected? Or what? Sorry I'm so dumb when it comes to this.

Now to people who reviewed. A MILLION AND ONE THANKS TO:

CattyCat, JJ, peaches3307, Double Double Toil and Troubl, Elspeth Renee, Crimson Girl, Brittany, suckerforlove, The ORIGINAL Meathead, BlueJeanMistress, luv-nave, Shining Star of Valinor, Flame Of Desire, SiriusProtege, SiriusAndJamesAreGorgeous, Babigirl2246, siriusforeva, PruePotter, blind0nion, Dk lili, SodaFizZz19, Violets-in-Spring, Klorfrosken, missy, mew, evahyoung, ST3, hermione278, anamika29, anamika29, GlassBroomstick, livingdead2010, me, beyonce-85, Ish

Emilyp- I think I described it in an earlier chapter, but I might not have done a very good description. She's got long dark chesnut brown hair and chocolate eyes. I really didn't get too much into her looks…should I? Thanks for the review.

Swizzlestix- Sorry! I hope this was faster I'm flattered you talk about my stories with your friend. Heh. Thanks for the review!

Miss Kai Potter-As kind as your offer is, and I'm sooo flattered that you want to translate it, I'm going to have to decline. I'm a bit over protective of my stories, they're like my babies. Pathetic, yes, I know. But thank you for the offer! 3 And I'm glad you like this story!

SmileLikeUMeanIt­- OOOOH THE KILLERS! Yayness! And thanks for the review

Differentvisions- The thing that happened at Remus' house was that whole Lily having a dream and running around the house and getting lost and crying and having James find her thing. Chapter…four, I believe? Yep. Thanks for the review

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER:

Back to Hogwarts!

Confessions gasp

Promises and…..shock?

I'm almost done with the next chapter, but I'm not sure if it's going to be THE chapter. You know, where the drama explodes? It might. Oh, if you darlings think this is dramatic, you just wait. You'll hate me, I just know it! Ha, I love this!

Review please! I'll love you forever!


	31. A Very Lovely Boy

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: You're smart. I don't own it.

* * *

_

_Previously _

_God, she hated his calm and collected attitude. When she was panicking inside (and clearly displaying it outside), James was wearing his slick grin and looking ever so composed._

_Sometimes, Lily felt like maiming that smirk of his. His charming, lop sided, stomach flopping, ridiculously sexy smirk…

* * *

_

**Chapter Thirty-One: A Very Lovely Boy**

Lily's face was hidden behind a book as the Hogwarts Express rattled along. The book was one that she had received for Christmas, and generally, she found it highly entertaining and engrossing. But this time, Lily found herself reading and re-reading the same paragraph over and over again, her mind wandering somewhere else while her eyes soaked in the words.

Lily gave a quiet sigh and lowered her book slightly, peeking over it and glancing at the rest of the compartment's inhibitors. Remus, like her, was bent over a book, but he actually seemed to be reading it. Sirius and Peter were playing Go Fish with a pack of muggle cards that Lily had introduced them to earlier during the ride. Then there was James, the cause for her mind's wanderings, the reason why she couldn't concentrate due to the flopsy feeling in the stomach that she got whenever she glanced at him. Which, for some reason, she found herself doing every minute or so.

It didn't help much that Mary was in the compartment, although Lily was pleased to see that something had definitely changed in their relationship, even if it was hard to pinpoint exactly what it was. Mary was bent awkwardly on his shoulder, sleeping in a very uncomfortable position. James' gaze was wandering around the room, and he too looked like he was about to fall asleep.

James glanced over at her, and seeing that she was looking at him, gave a warm smile and threw a wink. Lily grinned and winked back before disappearing behind her book again, this time wearing a large smile and heart thumping wildly in her chest. Eventually, she gave up trying to read her book and lowered her head to the rather uncomfortable seat and tried to find a little bit of sleep. Although she was quite relaxed, Lily never really found sleep, although she fooled everyone else with her imitated slumber.

Lily let her eyes seep open slightly when she heard Mary mumble something to James. It was then she noticed that Remus was gone, and the rest of her companions were asleep, except for the couple. Although Lily knew she would probably regret spying, she watched anyway with a heavy heart as Mary delicately pecked James on the lips.

"I love you," Mary said into his ear.

"I love you too," James whispered back, and although he said it so softly it should have evaporated into the silence, the words hit Lily heavily, stabbing her through the heart as she watched Mary lean in again for another kiss.

James put his larger hand over Mary's fragile one and gave her a wide grin.

"I still have to make up my absence on New Year's night," he winked.

Oh, hell no…Lily was not hearing James talk to Mary about sex…

Mary giggled loudly, "Tonight?"

"If you want."

Mary just put on a seductive smile and slithered her way onto his lap, devouring his lips frantically. Lily was honestly fighting off a loud groan and the urge to beam a heavy object at either of them. Finally, Lily decided she had seen more than enough and shut her eyes tightly, willing away the image of James kissing Mary and instead replaced it with the one of James kissing _her_.

Lily found it rather, no, _extremely_ annoying how James thought he could just saunter around, snogging and tending to Mary whenever the bimbo was around, then displaying affection for Lily whenever his unsuspecting girlfriend left. James knew that Lily liked him; she had absolutely no doubt about it. Why was he continuing to torture her like this? Maybe the way he acted around Lily _was_ an act, that famous "Potter Charm" that had drawn so many girls to join him in the broom closet. Perhaps he didn't like her to begin with!

This is why Lily hated guys. She loathed the feeling of all her emotional stability relying on a guy, especially when that guy was James Potter. Although he was much more to her now than just a popular annoying stuck up pig, she still felt horrible for falling into his trap. Not that she had a choice, anyway, she had certainly tried to get over him…

Still hearing desperate kisses, Lily groaned subtly and turned to her side, passing it off as just a sleepy movement, but it was enough to make Mary and James stop abruptly. Minutes later, Lily heard the door open and Remus walk in, before Mary's high heels walked out.

A loud, disruptively booming voice suddenly announced, "We will be arriving at Hogwarts in approximately fifteen minutes."

Lily pretended to "wake up" from her slumber, seeing as it was impossible to sleep through that announcement, so it was useless to pretend. She let out a mock yawn as she sat up, fooling everyone as she groggily stretched her arms over her head.

"Hey Lils," Remus greeted as Lily looked around the compartment.

"Hi Remus." Lily responded with a smile.

"It's about time you're up, you've been asleep for hours." James teased.

"It hasn't been _that_ long." She protested.

Lily looked at Sirius and Peter, who were now awake but much too dazed to say anything yet. Sirius sat up, his eyes shining with sleepiness, as Peter yawned.

"I should probably go put on my school robes, ay? Which means I have to stand up." Sirius mumbled.

"Or we can just kick Lily out and save us all some time." Remus teased.

"Hey!"

"Nah, let her stay." James winked.

"Well, it's quite a show, us putting on our robes. She'd have to do something herself." Sirius pretended to think for a moment.

"Like take off her shirt!" James concluded after they mocked thinking for a few seconds.

"You know what?" Lily interrupted before they could go any further, "I think I'll just wait outside."

"Awww," Sirius and James chorused.

"Thanks Lils," Said Remus, the ever-mature one.

Lily gave an amused sigh as she walked out of the compartment, shutting the door behind her. Not knowing quite what to do, she leaned against the wall and waited for the boys to let her re-enter the room.

It was just then that she saw Mary come out of the bathroom, dressed in her school robes and looking exceptionally prim and proper. As she approached Lily her delicate smile wavered with distaste, but somehow she managed to keep her tone civil.

"Why are you standing out here?" She asked coolly.

"The guys are changing." Lily answered in the same manner.

"Ah,"

Lily tried not to watch as Mary unzipped her purse and took out a compact mirror and tube of red lipstick. After caking on more than Lily though necessary, she gave a dainty sigh and put it away. Then, she turned to Lily.

"So Lily, girl to girl, I have something to ask you." Mary began sweetly.

Lily was rather shocked at first from her attitude towards her, but quickly remembered who it was and was not fooled. This was the tone of voice she used when she liked to brag. Mostly about James.

"Alright Mary, what do you have to ask me?"

"Well, James and my relationship, as I'm positive you know, has been getting very serious."

"Oh, yes, I know." She mocked.

Ignoring her comment, Mary continued, "And see, I think he's going to ask me to move in with him when we get out of Hogwarts, we've talked about it before. We both love each other very much, but I was wondering, do you think it would be too much of a commitment too soon?"

"Too much of a commitment…" Lily pretended to think carefully, "Well, seeing as I highly doubt you're going to move in, no."

Mary raised an eyebrow, "Not moving in? Why not?"

"Well, do you plan on living in the manor?"

"Of course."

"His parents won't let you. Trust me, I spent all of Christmas holiday over there, I would know." She kindly reminded Mary.

Mary's jaw clenched, wanting more than ever to let a string of curse words fly out of her mouth. However, before either of the girls had a chance to even begin a fight, the door to the compartment slid open.

"You guys can come in now," said Peter as he peeked his head out into the hall.

With a smirk playing at her lips, Lily made her way back into the compartment, clashing shoulders as she marched her way in. As James, now fully dressed in his robes, saw the two girls enter with mismatching faces, he cursed under his breath and gulped. Just as he expected, the moment Mary sat down next to him, she leaned over him and placed a lingering kiss on his lips. And, just as he had assumed, Lily, as far away as she possibly could get from them, was fuming. Eh, shit.

He was glad, however, that Mary and Lily didn't try and start up another rivalry. Lily had started discussing something with Remus and Peter and Mary was sitting silently with her hands on her lap.

It was only a matter of minutes when they pulled up to Hogwarts, the gleaming majestic tower that shown as brightly as a Jack-O-Lantern on a cold, Halloween night. Lily busied herself with Head Duties and talking with everyone but James. Not that he would have been able to talk anyhow, seeing as Mary was making a large effort to mark her territory. It wasn't that he was pleased about that fact, either, every move she made seemed to make Lily's cold attitude towards him get even icier.

Eventually, however, the day came to an end and the students retired into their beds, protective and warm. With the exception, as always, of Lily and James.

Lily was reading a textbook by firelight; the night already developed and bloomed over the windows. With a blanket wrapped around her and the warm fire crackling, she felt sincerely glad to be back home. Although, true, right now she was studying vigorously for NEWTS, whose proximity had just dawned on her, but the time sacrificed studying was well worth it.

Suddenly, the door creaked opened and a shadowy James crept into the room. Scanning the room and detecting Lily's presence, James crawled over to the sofa and sat on the opposite end, not saying a word. Lily did not wish to openly acknowledge his presence, although when he had entered the room she had given him a subtle glance. It had been _much_ too obvious where he was coming from.

For one, his school robes weren't on, his tie was astray and his shirt wasn't quite buttoned correctly. If Lily was correct, it was the look that people had when they rushed out of a place in record-breaking time, trying to escape whatever wrath lay there. Certainly, that evil wrath was Mary, and although that news wasn't necessarily bad, it wasn't pleasing either.

The fire crackled in the background as James stared at Lily, studying her by the warm glow of the fire. Finally, after she did not look up, James said in a low voice, "Hi Lils."

Lily's head rose from her book and she looked at James, and in an icy tone said, "Oh, hi, I didn't see you there."

"So, why are you mad at me?" He asked casually, lifting his legs onto the couch, taking up most of the space.

Lily eyed his legs that left her with hardly any room with disgust before snapping, "Me? Mad at you? Naw..."

"Stop being so damn sarcastic and tell me." He prodded impatiently.

She rolled her eyes and went back to her book, trying to ignore him.

"Is it about Mary?" He finally asked, and that name seemed to touch a nerve. Her head shot up and she glared at him.

"That and more. James, I think you know perfectly well why I'm pissed."

James thought for a moment. Okay, so it was true, he was rather sure that she was angry because Mary was his girlfriend, yet he spent so much time flirting with Lily. Then suddenly, James smirked. This could get interesting.

"No, I don't. Remind me," He grinned.

"Merlin, James, do I have to spell it out for you?"

"You can just tell me."

"God, you're such a friggin' prat." Lily mumbled under her breath.

"What was that, Lily dear? You haven't called me a prat in ages, I rather miss that insult. Now, do tell, why in the name of all that is holy are you so mad at me?"

Lily closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Upon opening them, she looked at James, trying to one, soothe her nerves, and two, restrain from strangling him. Although she'd like to continue sulking in her anger and not tell him why she was mad, Lily was absolutely sick of it all. She was sick of pretending, lying, hiding emotions that were dying to get out…she wanted to be rid of the disgusting burden.

"You know perfectly well that I…" Lily cut off her sentence, wondering how the hell even that much had slipped out. She bit her lip anxiously, watching James' face lighten up.

"You what?"

"That I…kind of…"

"Kind of..."

Lily sent an agitated, exasperated glance at him that seemed to tell him more than the few words she had stammered.

"Oh. _OH_. Oh, Lily! Are you trying to say…you _like_ me?" He gave off a high-pitched squeal.

Lily felt a damned blush creep onto her face as she mumbled something incoherent.

"You do like me, don't you? Lily-kins has a crush on me! Lily likes me, Lily likes me!" He teased in a singsong voice. He continued relentlessly, "Aww, Lils, how very sweet of you."

Then, seeing the look of embarrassment on Lily's face as she looked towards the ground, James stopped. His teasing grin faded and, suddenly serious, he leaned forward and let his breathing hang tauntingly on her neck. Then James whispered, his voice silky and smooth, "Well, you know, I kind of like you too."

Most girls at this point would be elated. And don't get me wrong, Lily was certainly was _beyond_ elated! Butterflies began to fly in her stomach, her breath was missing from her lungs, and her lips ached for his. But at the same time, she couldn't help but want to punch him in the nose…really, really hard.

With a swirl of contrasting emotions, she sat up, her head spinning with intense fury and exultation. Passion was flying through her body, although to what cause remained unknown to her.

"It's…it's exactly_ that_, you bloody twat, that is pissing me off!" She spat.

James, a little taken aback, asked meekly, "What?"

"You…URGH! You just prance around like you can do this, not having a care in the world towards ANYTHING!" Lily fumed as she began to pace.

James was almost too scared to ask her to clarify herself. He didn't have to, however, when Lily whipped around and stuck a finger out like this.

"You have a _girlfriend_. I don't care how much you don't fucking like her, but you have a girlfriend who would fail every single class, give up her popularity, and dress in rags for the rest of her life just to be with you. And for Mary, that's a freakin' lot!"

"Then you have the decency to flirt with me whenever she leaves the room! You know, only because she doesn't know about it does not mean it didn't happen. You're…you're…you're ARROGANT. Yeah, that's what you are, an arrogant prat!"

James was rather shocked, quite guilty, but not exactly hurt or angry. Frankly, he knew he deserved it, it had just been a matter of time for this to happen.

"UGH. I mean, if you want a snog buddy, if that's really all you want from me, I'd be happy to assist, seeing as I'd want _something_ rather than nothing at all."

He gawked, "So…you're saying that you'd snog me if I asked you to?"

Lily bit her lip, wanting furiously to defend herself and say no, but the truth spilled out of her before she got a chance to save herself.

"Yes, I would! There, I said it. If you asked me to snog you in a broom closet, I'd say _yes_." There. The words were out. The truth was free, she felt relieved, alive, floating. The constricting bind that had been keeping her down seemed to fall limp and a foolish smile crept onto her face.

James blinked. "Wanna go make out in the broom closet?"

The hormonal comment snapped Lily back into reality, and she shouted in exasperation, "NO YOU ASSHOLE! HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING TO ANYTHING I HAVE BEEN SAYING? SHUT UP AND LISTEN, KAY?"

"I've been listening quite intently, I'm sorry if the idea of snogging you is distracting."

"As I was _saying,_ if all you want to be is snog buddies, then please tell me that now because somehow I've gotten the idea that you like _me_, as ridiculous as that sounds."

Interrupting, James commented, "What are you talking about? Of course I like you, I-"

_I love you_. Three fragile words almost slipped from his mouth. No, that was wrong, he was just caught up in the heat of the moment. He couldn't. He didn't. Really…

"I really, really like you." He finished nervously.

"Well, you're not very good at showing it. See, I know you're new to this 'serious relationship business', but when you have a girlfriend, you don't go snogging other girls."

"I…never…snogged…you…" he stuttered nervously.

Lily let out a dry laugh, "James, I remember everything perfectly well. Not sure if that's good or bad, because frankly it was the best snog I've ever had, and every time I see you with Mary the thoughts always seem to taunt me."

Lily mentally slapped herself, how many things could she let slip in one conversation? Alright, well, it wasn't a conversation seeing as she was basically the only one talking. And it wasn't even talking, it was more like yelling and screaming. But whatever, she bit her lip, feeling she had revealed a little too much.

James' face went pale, "Oh. Okay then."

Lily tried to ignore his shocked behavior and continued to ramble angrily, "Mhmm. You better feel as guilty as hell. You do not know how much pain and agony you've forced me to endure over this past year, every time you smile or kiss Mary, its like a stab in the chest! And UGH…I just want to fuckin' STRANGLE YOU SOMETIMES! I never, never, EVER get worked up over boys, NEVER! But you, damn you, I get so worked up over _you! _I hate it! Merlin, I hate you!"

Then Lily grabbed a pillow, and consumed in the passion of her anger, began to smack him with it. She sprung onto the sofa, swinging wildly and climbing up the couch until she was directly over him. James, knowing she'd gone psycho, tried to block the blows with his arms feebly.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" Lily continued on hitting him with the pillow, although with each hit the attempt got weaker and weaker. Eventually, when there was no energy left in her to fight, she somehow found herself collapsed in James' arms, head on his warm chest as his fingers stroked her hair.

Why was it that no matter how mad she was at him, she always ended up in the same spot, with that same horridly amazing feeling in her stomach?

"Great, now I can't even get my bloody point across because no matter how much I ramble I always end up going against my word." Lily mumbled, "Did you even understand anything I was saying?"

In an answer to her question, he said seriously, "Lily, give me one day. I promise, one day."

Lily's eyes went wide as she realized what he was talking about, "But why not now? You never know what can happen in one day."

"One day because I can't do it now, seeing as it's rather late, and we just fu-" He cut off awkwardly as Lily fidgeted. "Now wouldn't be a good time. I'll do it tomorrow, I promise."

"Pink swear?"

"Pinky swear."

With a small smile, Lily closed her eyes drowsily. Then, a moment later, she gave a small chortle, "This is so weird."

"What is?"

She said softly, "This. Me. You. Us. You know?"

"Strangely I do... So, Lily, am I a good kisser?"

Lily chuckled, eyes still shut, "Would I be confessing the fact that I loved kissing you otherwise?"

He shrugged, "You never know. I also just like to feed my ego."

"You and your ego." She said sleepily.

"You know you find it sexy." He smirked, expecting a witty remark back.

But all Lily said was, absentmindedly, "Mhmm."

James didn't push it; instead he smiled and looked down at the drowsy girl resting her head on his chest. It was then he truly realized exactly how much happiness Lily gave him. Whether it was a simple smile, a hug, or even a dumb conversation, it brought elation and joy to his day.

He placed a simple kiss on her forehead, not feeling awkward or ashamed now that their feelings were out in the open. Lily smiled a little, but said nothing, enjoying his silent company as they sat in the heat of the fire.

Finally, James budged. Lily's eyes fluttered open at his sudden movement and looked at him with questioning eyes. With a tired smile, he muttered, "I don't think it would be best for us to fall asleep here."

Lily understood and nodded, sitting up to let James stand. She brushed her hair down awkwardly as he held out a hand to help her up, which she took with a smile.

But James didn't let go of her hand as they made their way to their dormitories, which made Lily's grin deepen. She liked how his large hands fit overtop hers, how their fingers entwined like lace through each other.

The two paused outside Lily's dormitory door, and she, with sparkling eyes, said softly, "Night James."

Then, she turned the other way and walked towards her door, expecting James to drop her hand and simply return the good night.

Instead, the moment Lily turned around, James tugged on her arm and brought her back spinning, somehow closing in the space between them in one fluid movement. Although Lily felt the doorknob pressing painfully into her back, the only thing she was completely aware of was the dancing of his lips on hers, clashing in a manner that left her completely breathless after only ten seconds of being clasped together.

Panting, Lily reluctantly broke away in the middle of a kiss, leaving James lingering and wanting just a little more. His tongue barley skimmed over his bottom lip eagerly, making him look, in Lily's opinion, incredibly gorgeous.

"Night James," Lily repeated, wearing a wild grin and laughter in her eyes as they stood still only inches away.

It took a moment for James to respond, "G-good night Lils."

With one last peck on the lips, Lily turned the doorknob and opened the door slightly, amused at his stunned reaction.

"Bye," she chirped quickly before slipping through, leaving a bewildered James stumbled outside her door.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Lily put her hands over her mouth and let out a giddy, love struck laugh. As she got ready for bed she felt like she was gliding on a cloud, her head full of fuzz and heart beating wildly. Although Lily chided herself for being so overly girly and well…boy crazy at the moment, she decided to ignore that part of her brain and bask in the lovely feeling.

Because it was a very, very lovely feeling.

And James was a very, very lovely boy.

And…She was pretty sure she was in love with him.

* * *

Hey guys, this update was pretty quick, ay? Anyway, what do you think about it? Happy that they finally got their feelings out? I'm excited, next chapter is the big drama BOOM! By the way, for those of you who haven't noticed, I'm redoing the first bunch of chapters because I hate them. They're still not up to par, but they'll do for now, I guess. So yeah, I'll be rewriting those over a course of time. So…yep. Now to my AWESOME REVIEWERS!

Thanks to:

beyonce-85, Ish, evahyoung, LillyEvans13, lylilac, SiriusProtege, mrsbillehboyd, PalinPotter, SiriusIsFINE, mirka, CattyCat, PotterChix, its a spoon, GlassBroomstick, babigirl2246, The ORIGINAL Meathead, The Weather Gal, livingdead2010, Kate, Optical Illusions, SodaFizZz19, Elspeth Renee, babygurl, ilchocolatechip011, Nikki101, PruePotter, Crimson Girl, British Drinking Tea

Violets-in-Spring- Thanks! I'm glad you like it. To answer your question, Mary will not become a character like Lily and James are, but I can assure you this isn't the last of her, we'll be with her for a while more. I felt the need to show a bit of her background so people could understand why she was doing what she's going to do. I'm a sucker for character development :) Thanks a ton for the review.

peaches3307- The Gryffindor girls are just there, they have absolutely no place in this fic, really, so you don't have to worry about them ;) Thanks a ton for the review!

Differentvisions- Thank you very much for catching that, I probably let that detail slip. I'll make sure to fix it when I go over that chapter. Thanks for the review!

HeRmIgNoNe- Eventually, yes, they will get together. :)

blind0nion- How many chapters…hmm…can't say for sure. Sorry. Thanks for the review!


	32. Playthings of a Greater Force

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything familiar_

**Thank you to my reviewers! I'm doing this earlier so I don't ruin the "boom" for you guys.**

**_PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THEY ARE NOT TOGETHER YET!_**

anamika29, GlassBroomstick, anty, TigerLilly1889, Dawn, siriusforeva, SiriusIsFINE, anty, peaches3307, liz, Violets-in-Spring, ST3, SodaFizZz19, babigirl2246, SmileLikeUMeanIt, Dk Lili, The ORIGINAL Meathead, Emmylou88, bRaTsKi, slippers, againandagain, LillyEvans13, TigerRose, Shadowrayne, Lunita Potter Malfoy, princessjem, Inu-kanna

**mew-** They aren't "together" yet, they just admitted everything, sorry! The story is not over yet. Thanks for the review.

**PruePotter-** They are NOT together yet! They just admitted to liking each other. But they are nooooooooot together, so no, not ending it yet. Sorry ;) Thanks for the review.

**evahyoung-** Yay! I'm glad you realize that James is an ass, because I wanted to make him not be completely perfect. He's a huge ass sometimes, I agree Thanks for the review.

**livingdead2010-** Ugh, you're right. Kissing a guy after he just did it with his girlfriend. Gross! Oh well, Lily doesn't care Thanks for the review!

* * *

_Previously_

_Although Lily chided herself for being so overly girly and well…boy crazy at the moment, she decided to ignore that part of her brain and bask in the lovely feeling._

_Because it was a very, very lovely feeling._

_And James was a very, very lovely boy._

_And…She was pretty sure she was in love with him._

_

* * *

_

**Chapter Thirty-Two: Playthings of a Greater Force**

Lily hardly slept that night, James running through her mind even when she tried to block him out. Did she love him? How would she know? What did she have to base it off of? Lily certainly had never been in love before, but what would she have to judge that first love off of?

"Instinct," the simple part of her mind told her, "don't over-analyze it."

Lily remembered back when Leah had come to her, a wide grin on her face, to tell Lily that she thought she was in love with Remus. At first Lily had been shocked, almost amazed to hear about how…special their relationship was. What had Leah told her about it?

"_I just feel so…me around him, you know? With some guys, you're always trying to think of what to say or how to act around them to get them to like you…but with Remus, I can just talk and be normal and it seems to work just as well, even better." _Leah had said wistfully.

There was no acting with James, he knew how stupid she could be at times, he knew her in her worst moods, he had seen her at her lowest times. He liked her for her craziness, for her sarcasm, for her quick temper and everything else in between, and vice versa. Oh, Lily knew far too well his imperfections, she knew how much of a stubborn ass he could be at times…but the thing was, she wouldn't change a thing about James.

After hours of thinking and rethinking it, Lily came to the conclusion that she might very well soon love him. It seemed inevitable that eventually Lily would love James; right now it was just leading up to it. With that mediocre conclusion, she fell into a light sleep, waking up the next day half an hour late and still wishing she had thirty minutes more to sleep.

Groggily she dragged herself over to the bathroom, first pausing outside of James' door to see if he was up yet. His door was slightly ajar and there was no one inside, which was when Lily recalled that tomorrow there was a Quiditch game tomorrow, and being the captain of the team, he was probably off training the team's ass off.

Amazed at how early he could get up, Lily continued onwards to the bathroom, where the steaming hot bath effectively sharpened her senses and diminished the slumber still lurking in her. Thirty minutes later she was walking to the common room to catch up with Remus and Peter (Sirius was also practicing), feeling rather happy to be backin school.

Food had never tasted better in her mouth as she eagerly devoured the magical meal that appeared on her plate. Oh, how good it did feel to come back to Hogwarts. She and the boys made small talk, mostly about upcoming classes and NEWTS, rather enjoying the peacefulness that was present because of the two absences.

Mary did come to visit their table near the end of breakfast, but stayed not more than ten seconds. Crisply, she came up to them and asked curtly, "Have you seen Jamie?"

"James? No, he's not here," Lily replied.

"Where is he?" Mary muttered with a sigh, more to herself than anyone else as she began to walk away.

Lily took this as a moment to do a little of her own bragging and called toMary's retreating form, "Oh, you don't know? He's out practicing Quiditch for the next game. He'll probably be back in about twenty minutes or so, I'll tell him you stopped by, kay?"

Mary gave a stiff smile, stopped, but refused to face Lily. She said in a sugary voice through gritted teeth, "That's alright, I'll just go find him myself."

"Alright then, you have a nice day," Lily said in mockingly sweet voice.

"You too," She echoed in tone before striding off quickly.

As she watched Mary stomp off to wherever she was going, Lily let the grin of victory float on her face.

"Well, you're looking smug," Remus observed.

With a humorous laugh Lily sighed, "I hate that bitch!"

"Seems like the feelings are mutual. How long do you give them?" He asked curiously.

"What, are we betting on them?" Peter inquired.

Remus thought for a moment, "No. Just guessing. Friendly guessing."

Lily bit her lip, tempted to keep theinformation sheknew a secret. Suddenly, however, she couldn't hold it any longer and suddenly burst out in a low whisper, "Today. I give them by the end of today."

Leaning back, Remus raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Has Prongs failed to give me an important snippet of information?"

"Maybe…"

"I want to know the gossip!"

"There's no gossip… he just randomly let slip that he planned on breaking up with her today." She said innocently.

"Randomly, I'm sure. There is no…say, reason why?"

"No," she denied, trying to keep her blush under control.

Remus yelled accusingly, "AHA! You're blushing!"

"No I'm not…" She denied meekly.

"Yes, you are. Now, are you going to tell me? Because I will keep bothering you all day long if you don't until you do, so you might as well."

"Fine, fine!" She gave a long sigh before reluctantly saying, "I'm sure you know of my…escapade with James, right?"

"Yes," Remus replied with a grin twitching upwards on his face.

"No," contradicted Peter.

Both heads turned to look at the ignorant Peter.

"I'll fill you in later," Remus promised him before turning back to Lily. "I was under the impression you had no recollection of the event."

"Yes, well, James was under that impression too, but I do remember everything."

"Ah. Did he find this out yesterday?."

"Yeah, I think that's why he decided to do it today," She admitted honestly.

"Do you think he will?"

Lily looked up at him in suspicion and said, slowly, "Why wouldn't he?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, "No reason. I'm just wondering, maybe you're hoping for too much."

Lily rolled her eyes, "You're just like Leah, ever the pessimist."

Remus laughed, "Hey, just saying. Plus, your voice sounds a little nervous; un-assured."

"Nothing gets past you, does it?" She muttered.

"Nothing."

"I just…I know James will do it, even though it'll take a bit of…pushing, he will. But it's not that I'm worried about," Lily confessed as she stared at the orange swirls of her juice.

"Then what?"

Lily looked up with aggravation, "I don't know! I can't really pinpoint it, it's just…"

"A feeling?" He suggested.

"A feeling." She confirmed.

"Well…we'll see by the end of the day, right?"

"If I ever manage to make it through." Lily groaned, the day seeming now much too long.

"Lucky for you, its time for class. Let's go get the day started," Remus announced as he stood, collecting his sprawled about belongings.

Lily and Peter followed his example and quickly wrapped up their area. Right before they were about to leave, James' face flickered in Lily's mind, and without hesitation, she picked up a slice of bread to sneak to him during their next class, History of Magic. He was always famished after practices, and the monotone ghost would not take notice.

She felt a bit of excitement bubble in her stomach as all the students began to arrive to the class, all sharing wide smiles as they made small talk about their holidays. Lily, Remus and Peter saved Sirius and James a seat next to theirs, knowing their friends would arrive seconds before the bell wrung.

They were correct, almost the moment James, Sirius, and a few of the other Gryffindor Quiditch Team members arrived, the bell gave of it's warning ring, officially signifying the return of school, once again.

James, breathless,gave Lily a smile as he threw himself in the empty desk next to hers.

"Hey Lils," he greeted as he pulled out parchment and a quill, although hardly anyone took notes during class.

"Hey James," she smiled and handed him the piece of bread, "Here, eat."

James let out a low chuckle, "Thanks, I'm starving."

"I figured, and I don't think the professor will mind."

James took a bite of the bread hungrily, not even trying to hide the food from the oblivious instructor. Not surprisingly, he managed to devour it without the professor even glancing at him. Then he swiftly snatched up his quill, dunked it into the midnight black ink, and fiercely began to scribble away on the parchment. She watched curiously as James folded it up and, not too subtly, tossed it onto Lily's desk.

Eagerly unwrapping it, she read with a smile on her face at James' quick, pleasant message.

**Thanks for the bread, love. **

_No problem. How was practice?_

**The team is stressing because the game is so soon, but I think we've got it under control. **

_Good. You nervous?_

**A little, it's against Slytherin after all. **

_You'll do fine, you've been working your ass off. _

**I hope it's enough. **

_It will be. So…have you lived up to your promise yet?_

**Oh. No, not yet. **

_You pinky swore…_

**Patience, love. The day hasn't even started. **

_Yeah, I know, I know… _

**Have you seen Mary today?**

_Yes, she stopped by our table to ask where you are. _

**Alright. I'll do it as soon as possible, okay? You just have to understand, it's a little hard…**

_I understand. First serious relationship, the girl's a little obsessed with you, take your time. But do it soon. _

**That didn't contradict itself. **

_It didn't. Leave me alone!_

**You know I'm right, you just don't want to admit it.**

_Just let me wallow in my denial, yes?_

**Yes, fine. I'm going to leave you now, okay?**

_What am I supposed to do, pay attention?_

**No, sleep. You look tired. **

_Aw. Thanks, will do. Bye bye. _

Upon receiving her farewell signed on paper, James crumpled the note up, tossing it into the wastebasket in a perfect arch. Lily smiled and lowered her head onto the uncomfortable desk, relaxing as she stared out into space.

Or at least she was _trying_ to relax. Lily found herself stealing glances at the raven-haired boy next to her, sometimes catching his gaze and other times just admiring him as he played with a crumpled piece of paper. Funny how entertaining he was to her, she felt like she could spend hours just watching him, tracing every curve and line in his face, the entrancing swirls in his eyes, the way his hair fell carefree onto his face…

James caught her staring and gave her a charming little wink. She gave him a soft smile before looking away, although very aware that his gaze was still on her.

The rest of this class and the classes after that followed in the same manner, stealing glances and passing notes filled with pointless yet pleasing gibberish. Lily had been right in saying that the day would drag on forever, and as much as she tried to pay attention in her classes, Lily's mind always seemed to find itself wandering about, and eyes doing the same. Sometimes she found herself staring at the rainy sky through the dungeon window, and other times playing teasing eye games with James.

Finally, however, the last class of the day did arrive, Herbology, which was coincidentally shared with the Ravenclaws. Lily and James were walking towards the green house, through the soggy fields and under a grey, hazy sky that held the predicament of rain. They trudged onward; making comments on the weather, completely unaware that Mary was walking but a few feet behind them.

"Looks like it's gonna rain," James pointed out.

"Lovely. You know, I rather like the rain," Lily pointed out optimistically.

"I remember at Remus' that one time, you and Leah were outside playing in the rain and you two came in completely drenched. You know, you looked kind of cute." He commented with a grin on his face.

Lily laughed, "I was covered head to toe in mud, I highly doubt I was even close to looking _cute. _You have an oddly demented idea of cute!_"_

"My Lily looks cute in anything. Especially mud." He told her factually.

"Your Lily?" She asked in amusement, her breath secretly escaping from her lungs.

"My Lily. Do you know her? She's about this high, adorable green eyes, and the most beautiful shade of auburn hair I've ever seen. "

Lily blushed at his continuous flattering, and meekly took a subtle glance over her shoulder to see if anyone overheard them. This is when she caught sight of Mary, her permanent smile from her face gone, eyes widened and frozen in place as she bit her lip, looking down toward the ground in what seemed like defeat.

How much had she heard?

Obviously everything.

What should Lily do now?

Pretend like she didn't see her.

She turned back to James, her flushed smile still on her face, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. James obviously wasn't aware of Mary's presence, or else Lily would have easily bet he wouldn't have placed a kiss on her forehead and wrapped his arm around her waist.

It felt so normal, so completely natural to be next to James like this that Lily tried as hard as she could to ignore that forbidding feeling. Deep down she knew it wasn't going to last long, that soon…very soon, things were going to go swerving completely out of control. Remus had described it best; it was a feeling. Just a feeling. And it's rather amazing how accurate instinct alone can be.

As they entered the classroom, Mary sat further down that she usually did, looking troubled and unsettled as she worked nervously at her hair. By this time James had let go of her, and he flashed a small smile at Mary. Lily's insides clenched with anger, but she carefully reminded herself it was all going to be over today…

With that thought, she happily sat down next to James and started class with a wild grin on her face. Occasionally, she glanced over at Mary, and was happy to see she looked even more panic stricken as time ticked by, now faced with the inevitable fact that James obviously preferred Lily to her, even if she did hold the honorary title of his girlfriend. As guilty as Lily felt for thinking this, she loved watching Mary squirm like that, the perfect little know-it-all angel finally seemed to have a little bit of human characteristics for all to see. She was obviously trying to find a doubt in her mind that would save her from facing the reality that James was soon going to break up with her. The suspense of when and how is what really began to strike her nerves.

Lily and Mary locked eyes, one glare filled with envy and anger, the other superior and conquering. A challenging smile slipped onto Lily's face. Mary's gaze darted the other way, even she knew she couldn't win.

Oh, revenge certainly was sweet.

* * *

Mary did not like anyone who threatened any prized possession in her life. Mary did not like Lily.

Could her fake smiles, laughs, and coos only do so much for her? Was the story of James and Mary about to end right here, with really nothing gained? She certainly had not worked so hard to let him go so quickly, so disgracefully, and especially to someone so unworthy as Lily.

She did not care if James did not prefer her over Lily, she'd make him. There was too much at stake- the stinging approval of her parents that she was always struggling to meet, her status at school, her status in _life_, really. Lily did not seem to be even partially aware of the magnificent honor, no, _blessing_ that it was to have the surname Potter even somehow affiliated to yours. To wear it as your last name…well, that was like a gleaming trophy for all to admire. Mary was well acquainted with the ways of wizarding families, the way judging eyes analytically surveyed every inch of your body, your attitude, it seemed they could sniff your impurities in the air. She knew the harshness everyone wore, the cold distant facades that worked like icy mountains to separate you from their superior world. Lily would not be able to handle it, Mary was doing her a favor.

"_A favor, that's it."_ Mary told herself as the bell wrung and they all made their way out of the Herbology classroom. Rain seemed to be containing itself behind the gray clouds, just waiting for the opportune moment to pour down on unsuspecting victims. Mary walked quickly, chin raised high, back straight, as dignified as she could be before James would try and break up with her.

Try. Mary would not let him.

* * *

"Come on, go do it!" Lily whispered frantically as her and James made their way down to dinner.

James gave an irritated sigh, "It's not the right moment."

"It's never going to be a right moment, you just have to get out there and do it!"

"Lily, come on, be a little patient."

"No, James, I'm sick of this! I don't want Mary to be your girlfriend, _I_ want to be!" She cried.

James bit his lip at her sudden outburst, but Lily didn't seem the least bit embarrassed, "Come on James, why are you so scared?"

"I'm not scared!" He protested defensively.

She gave a wicked smile, "Oh really, then? Are you sure about that? I would say you are."

"I'm not!"

"I don't believe you. You're going to have to prove it to me, or I'll just thinking you're to coward to-"

"Fine! I'll do it already because I'm _not_ a coward!" James cried.

Lily gave a softer smile, "That's a good boy, you're no coward. Now go find Mary, yeah?"

James gave a nod, "Yeah." Suddenly, he gave a sigh realizing what he had agreed to, "Lily, you suck."

She gave him an amused grin, "I know, love."

Despite James' glum attitude, he suddenly brightened at the affectionate name that he always called Lily. With a grin on his face he said, "Alright, I'll do it when Mary comes in."

Mary came in.

"Okay, just kidding. I'll do it when she's about to leave," he corrected nervously.

Lily sent him a death glare and he, reluctantly, with a long melodramatic sigh placed before it, said, "Okay, okay! I…I'll do it."

He slowly made his way towards Mary, taking all the time in the world to stall as he took limp steps towards her.

"Go James, show her what you're made of!" Lily cried loudly from across the room.

He looked over his shoulder to send her a glare before he continued walking, closer to the suspecting Mary, one step closer to catastrophe, pulling tighter on the trigger to send the bullet of disaster flying out.

Mary spotted a pale, troubled looking James approaching and panicked seized her fidgeting body. Oh dear God, it was real! She knew by that look on his face, that apprehension swirling in his eyes that he intended to stomp out what little fire they had left in their relationship right here and right now.

He gave her a trembling smile and dug his hands in his pockets; walking slowly to the wide-eyed, mute girl, shock effectively sewing her mouth shut with its awkward hands. Mary was rooted to the ground as he took one step closer, and one more, and one more…

James was standing across from her, a foot away, a regretful look in his eyes that told her everything she needed to know.

"Hey," he said.

"Hello," she returned.

James could tell that Mary knew what he intended to do by the way her breath was shaking as she spoke, the way her knuckles were white from gripping her books so tightly.

"Can I talk to you...uhm…o-outside for a moment?"

Mary gave a small nod as she stared at he perfectly clean shoes, the enchanted roof of the castle, the stony cold walls- anything, really, but James.

She followed out dutifully, asking no questions, giving no answers, just walking with her head down, her mind trying frantically to find the answer to a question she did not know.

The two walked awkwardly, silently into the outdoors, slowly down the steps and into the dewy grass. The seconds seemed to tick slowly away, counting down the time until the ghostly figure at the end of the hallway arrived with its fingers of ice to curl around them. They were the playthings of a greater force now, and although the choice in the end was theirs, they really knew it wouldn't end any other way- in disaster.

They stopped when they reached the grass and faced each other dutifully.

It was now or never. Just go!

"Mary," James started, taking in a deep breath. "How long have we been together now?"

"About five months," she reminded him quickly.

"Five months…wow, five months. I've really enjoyed the time I've spent with you, you really are an amazing person…"

Mary took a deep breath, "I have too, James, I love you more than I've ever loved anyone else-"

The look in his eyes silenced her.

"Me…me too. But, I don't think things are going to work out."

Breath seemed to fall short of her as her eyes blinked once or twice, trying to will away the scene before her. When it didn't disappear, she stuttered, "W-what?"

She might have been expecting it, but it was never easy. Never. Especially when you didn't want it to come.

"I think five months is enough, as much as I've liked you being my girlfriend, I think it should end here."

Now his intentions were clear, out in the open, the words still hanging over their heads solemnly. With a burning rage of fire, Mary found a determination in her that fiercely stated: she would not let him go. Mary knew for a fact that without him she would absolutely nothing, better off dead! She was a wreck without anyone to tell her how beautiful she was, to hug her when she was down, to assist her and aid her in almost everything she did. Mary was totally _dependant_ on him, she could _not_ let him go!

"Why?" She found herself whispering.

He sighed, "Mary, I…I just don't feel the same way about you anymore. It was great while it lasted, but do we have to continue something that obviously isn't there?"

"What are you talking about?" She cried. "It's there, I feel it! I love you James, I love you with all my heart! And you love me too, damnit!"

Mary found herself not caring she had cursed, although James seemed genuinely surprised. In his state of shock, he shook his head slightly, weakly, but found his shake getting stronger.

"No," he finally said feebly, "You don't love me. And I don't love you."

The words hurt harder than a knife piercing her stomach, the words themselves seemed to make the sky shatter into discarded shards, seemed to make the stars fall from their heavenly pedestals and into a dark oblivion to disintegrate. Not even aware that she was openly sobbing, Mary took a determined step forward, clutching his shoulders to keep her from teetering over, from she herself falling into oblivion.

"Please, don't leave me, you don't realize how much I need you." She gasped desperately, trying to get closer to him but not succeeded as he tried to pry her fingers off him. "You don't realize, you don't! You're going to regret ever leaving me, you are, because you love me!"

James gave up in trying to pry her off him, and instead watched with a sad, slightly intrigued gaze as he saw the ever-collected, proper, kind, generous, seemingly perfect girl groveling at his feet, begging forgiveness from him as if he was a benevolent god.

"Please," she begged, "Please!"

Her mind was spinning wildly, images blurring, ideas jumbling, _lies_ forming deceptively in the shadows of her bitter mind. And suddenly, she had a sick, twisted idea, so crazy and farfetched that it seemed to be perfect.

Mary, still sniffling loudly, dropped her hands from his shoulders and wiped at her tears. She stood, trying to collect herself, as James stared at her curiously, knowing it wasn't over yet.

Now, in a much more calm, but just as pleading voice, Mary asked, "Please James, please don't go. You don't know…you just…you don't know."

He asked slowly, "What don't I know?"

"A lot, I didn't want to tell you, I-I…I didn't want to believe it," she bit her lip and tried to keep the fake tears out. Mary wiped at her eyes before continuing, "Just…please, _please_ don't go."

"What don't I know?" He repeated sternly.

Mary's hands began to circle her stomach as if she was feeling sick and looked the other way in shame, "I don't want to tell you."

"TELL ME!" James barked suddenly, sensing dread beginning to flow from his veins.

Mary jumped at his tone that sent her breath running faster as tears began to fall again, "No, James, no…"

"Mary, tell me _now,_" he ordered sternly, teeth clenching together menacingly.

Mary was sobbing hysterically again, and for a moment the look of rage in his eyes made her consider not crushing his world…but it was for his very own good, for hers…he would thank her for this later on.

"James, I didn't know this would happen…I-I found out this morning, I meant to tell you as soon as possible…" her shoulders were heaving up and down frantically as a look of genuine sorrow took over her blurred eyes.

James' heart seemed to be pounding loudly in his ears and his breath seemed to flow slowly through his lungs, he dared not ask _what_. The dark ghost seemed to be crushing his body with his lanky hands now, depriving him of air, turning him blue, making his head spin as he waited for the suspense to fall upon him.

"Good God James, w-we're so young, we're only s-seventeen! We shouldn't have to do this…" Mary stuttered with a trembling voice as she watched with sorrow any light in his eyes disappear.

"James…"

He knew what was coming, he wanted to cover his ears and desperately cry out for her to stop, stop talking, stop!

"James…Good God, James, I'm pregnant!"


	33. Reactions

**Emerald Eyes

* * *

** _Preivously_

_"James…"_

_He knew what was coming, he wanted to cover his ears and desperately cry out for her to stop, stop talking, stop!_

_"James…Good God, James, I'm pregnant!"_

_

* * *

_

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Reactions**

Lily sat, looking out into the fading grey day, wondering when the sky would finally break and send shards of rain hitting upon the ground. James had not arrived ten minutes after he had gone outside with Mary, nor after twenty minutes, nor after thirty…so Lily had left, hoping that everything had gone all right.

All though she knew they had not.

One hour and thirty minutes later and James still had not arrived. Where was he? Maybe he was walking around the castle, letting off a bit of stress after the big break up. Yet, that answer didn't satisfy her shaking nerves one bit.

Suddenly, a tiny figure, swirling spinning twirling angrily caught Lily's eye. It was hardly there against the grey sky, diving upwards and downwards in fluctuating arches. She knew the moment her eyes caught it, it was James.

Quickly standing from her place at the windowsill, she rushed to her closet and pulled out a jacket and slipped on some shoes. In a flash she was out of her room, scurrying throughout the long curving hallways and tipsy stairs of Hogwarts, trying to reach the grounds in unthinkable speed.

She was panting heavily by the time she arrived at the double doors, and with a determined push, barged open the doors and flew out into the chilly evening. The wind was running everywhere, tossing her hair about like prying fingers and jabbing at her sides. The Whomping Willow seemed weeping hysterically, it's branch limbs dancing in the wind with unmanageable furry. Lily pulled her jacket tighter to herself, walking a little faster towards the Quiditch Pitch.

As she arrived closer, a mop of black hair confirmed her thought- it was James. Lily feared for his safety as he made wild plunges, miraculously saving himself from crashing against the cold ground with jerking saves. Running faster, she made her way through the bleachers, watching him intently in fear that if her eyes strayed from him he might go flying against the ground.

All his concentration seemed to be taken up in this one thing, he did not notice Lily watching him from the sidelines. She stood there looking at his rampaging figure, feeling helpless and obsolete down on the ground. It seemed like after hours of watching, after hundreds of near misses and close calls, that James finally sank his broom and landed gracefully on the ground, the dirt beneath his feet bringing him back to reality.

James was sweating profusely even though the weather was chilling. A cloud of furry and confusion was gliding over him as he took in his surroundings again, as if he had just realized where he was. His eyes fell on the observant Lily, and if he was happy to see her, he didn't show it. He showed no emotion, in fact, it seemed like it had all been drained out of him, and he was much too tired to react to anything.

So something _was_ horribly wrong. What exactly it was at this point didn't really matter to her. James' eyes looked broken and hollow, his spirit seemed to have been crushed, and all Lily wanted to really do was alleviate any pain he felt. She took striding steps forward and rushed to his limp figure, bringing him into a tight embrace that, although completely wasted, he eagerly returned. His hands were cold against her back as he held her tightly, liking the feeling of having someone to hold onto.

Lily, biting her lip, took a moment to observe his worn-down face. Still holding tight to his hands, Lily asked him in a low whisper, "What happened?"

James stared back at her blankly for a moment before replying in an undertone, "I don't know."

She forced a weary smile onto her face and told him, "Let's go inside, it's too cold out here. We'll talk in there, okay?"

James said nothing and simply followed wordlessly next to her, trailing his broomstick miserably behind him as they quested through the field. The whole time Lily was trying to find the appropriate words to approach and ease whatever was causing him so much pain and confusion. What could have been so horrible?

Soon enough they found themselves in the warm sanctuary of the castle after tossing the broom in the shed, and moments later, entering the Head Common Room. Once they were inside, Lily shut and locked the door and turned meekly towards James.

"Want something to eat?" She offered.

"No thanks," James mumbled back, standing there numbly.

"What about a warm shower? Sleep?"

James shook his head at all her offers, and finally Lily sighed.

"James, at least lie down, you're really worrying me." Lily implored. He did not refuse, so she grabbed him by the hand and directed him to his room. James seemed to finally realize exactly how exhausted he was at the sight of his bed, and eagerly, but feebly, plopped down onto it with a thud.

Lily invited herself onto the bed and crawled up next to him, sitting herself comfortably close to him. James covered his heavy eyes with his hands in fatigue and rubbed them awake. He then looked to his side at Lily with empty eyes, not knowing what to say or where to begin.

"You want to start from the beginning?" She asked softly, reading his mind.

James nodded, but said nothing for a few moments. Then finally, his mouth opened and he began to speak to her in a thin voice.

"Lily, I've always wanted to have a family one day." He started. "I've always wanted to come back from work to a house where the girl who means the world to me is waiting, looking just as beautiful as the day I fell in love her, even when so much time has gone by. A kid or two, or three, even, who call me daddy and run around in diapers…one day, I've always wanted that."

James gulped and looked over at Lily, "But not with Mary, I don't love her, I don't even like her!"

Lily looked at him in surprise, wondering what this had to do with anything, hoping that it wasn't what it sounded like…

"God, I'm seventeen Lily! Why do I have to put up with all this? I want to have a normal, seventeen year old life, a life that I can't have when my girlfriend- well, she's technically not my girlfriend anymore- is fucking pregnant!" James put a finger to his temple and leaned his head back in frustration.

Lily, who had been previously rubbing his hand with her thumb comfortingly, suddenly froze.

"W-what?"

"She's pregnant! I got Mary pregnant and now she's going to have my child!" He cried angrily.

Lily's hand dropped off his and her face turned a ghostly shade of white. James…her James, having a baby with…Mary?

"Are you sure?" She asked meekly.

"Well, why would she make something as…big as that up?" James said irritably. "She found out this morning…"

"But that's too soon, you can't find out your pregnant until five days after-"

"That's the Muggle world, maybe, and don't ask me how witches find out their pregnant…but it's different, I know that much. Lily, I'm seventeen!" He suddenly cried frantically.

"Are you sure she isn't lying? It wouldn't be below her to do something like that." She said quickly.

James gave a frustrated shrug, "I honestly don't know. She sounded pretty damn serious."

"She's a good actress,"

"I think I can tell these kind of things, she's not lying."

"But…"

Her mind was numb, and although she tried to comfort him, it was rather hard when she didn't know the right words to soothe her own throbbing discomfort. So instead, Lily just hugged him tight, hoping if she held him close enough this crazy nightmare would disappear. James was eager to return the embrace, as there were no words to properly explain anything anymore.

Minutes passed by until finally, James broke the silence with a troubled plea. "Lils, what am I going to do?"

Lily, a frown on her face, turned to look at him with helpless eyes, "I…I don't know."

But Lily always had an answer, always had a suggestion, a way to make him feel better! This time she just shook her head sadly, almost as baffled as he was.

"I mean, that's my baby she's having! It'll have my hair, or eyes, or nose or mouth! He…or she, will have my blood running through them! I just can't abandon them, they're part of me." He whispered desperately.

Lily bit her lip and was only dimly aware of the tears building in her eyes. James saw this and a look of regret came on his face as he ushered softly, "God, I'm sorry, don't cry…"

She wiped at her tears and gave a timid chuckle of embarrassment. "I'm not crying."

James gave a small smile, "Alright."

"Why do things have to be this hard?" She cried suddenly, abandoning the "I'm not crying" act completley.

"I don't know. I guess some thing just aren't meant to work out." He gave a grim shrug.

"W-what do you mean?"

"I don't know. I don't know anything anymore."

"What are you going to do with Mary?"

"I don't know."

"Tell me you aren't going to marry her!" She pleaded.

James wanted to say that no, of course he wouldn't…but was that the truth?

"I…I'm not sure."

"You can't marry someone you don't love!" Lily cried.

"I don't want to, but Lily, you have to understand. The wizarding world's richest wouldn't even dream of accepting a child into their world without marriage- even if the marriage is forced. It's sad, but it's the way things work…"

"So?" She cried frantically, "That doesn't mean you have to! Please, James, don't…"

"Nothing is being decided right now, love."

"But James, do you realize what this means?" Lily asked hysterically. "You're going to be a _father!_ A daddy to someone, the big man who knows all the answers, who isn't scared of the monster under the bed _or_ the dark. You're going to be a hero, a champion in their eyes! Do you know how big of a responsibility you're going to have?"

James gave a small, grim smile, "It's…scary."

"You're taking this too well," She observed.

"It hasn't sunk in yet."

"It's surreal, isn't it?"

"It is. You're taking this pretty well, too, you know."

"It hasn't sunk in either. Tomorrow I'll be raging."

"Tomorrow I'll have a hangover." He said in a bleak singsong voice.

"What?" Lily asked in confusion.

"I think I'm going to go get drunk…"

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I think I am. Three, big, delicious glasses of Firewhisky seem very inviting right about now." He said sourly.

Lily said nothing and looked the other way, wiping at her eyes. Then, seconds later she turned back to him again, unable to fully grasp this confusing concept.

"You, James Potter, are going to be a father."

James gave a small, but still present smile, "I am…"

"With _Mary_. The goody-goody slut face bitch," Lily said with a sudden rage.

James didn't correct her, at the moment he much agreed.

"Mary Davidson is having your baby!" She cried. "In nine months you're going to have to learn how to change diapers! And if you don't marry her, you'll have to pay child support and get a job. Well, maybe not, you're pretty damn rich but…_why didn't you use protection?_ Your mom is going to _kill_ you!" Lily snapped.

James looked the other way, "Li-ly."

"I'm serious! What the hell were you thinking? Your mom still thinks you're a fuckin' virgin, how are you going to explain to her that you got Mary pregnant?"

"I don't like this topic,"

"Yes, well, you're going to have to deal with it. Are you even still together with Mary?" Lily continued in her rant.

"I told her we were over"

"And where does this put me?"

"I don't know,"

"Urgh!" She cried desperately, falling backwards onto the pillows in a frustrated rage. Then, more to herself, she said, "It's times likes these I wish I still hated you, you know? So I wouldn't have to deal with all this…why do you have to be so damn addictive? That's what you are, fuckin' addictive."

When James didn't say anything back, Lily continued with her rant, "This would have never happened if you just broke it off when you knew you didn't like her, you know?"

And then she said nothing else, sulking in the pillows staring at the ceiling with a death glare.

"Don't get mad at me," he finally said warily, "I'm going to have an effin' lot to deal with and I don't want you being mad at me to top it all off, so stop it."

Lily said nothing for a few moments. Then guiltily, Lily sat back up and reluctantly sighed, realizing her words had been much too harsh. "I'm sorry James," she said quietly but sincerely, " I'll be here for you, okay?"

James gave a small nod, and Lily felt her heart swell.

Lily leaned her head on his shoulder wearily, the weight of the situation finally getting to her. The man she loved, or almost loved, was now further away from her grasp than she had ever even imagined he could be. If it was bad enough earlier when he was dating someone, it was certainly horrendous now that he had gotten her pregnant! Damn James. Lily knew him too well; he would marry her if that's what it took to give his child a decent life. Although he hadn't expected being a father until much a later in his life, a kid is a kid whenever he or she decides to come, and if marrying a total bitch was the sacrifice he had to make for his own flesh and blood, then he'd do it. It would have been sweet if she weren't part of it all.

Life was being quite a bitch, and Lily wish she'd stop.

Poising her lips next to his ear, Lily gave a sigh and mumbled, "So, what about those Firewhiskies?"

* * *

Lily felt guilty to admit that James was a lot of fun when he was drunk, if he wasn't already exciting and mischievous when he was sober. Although James certainly tried, she didn't let him get _too_ out of hand, although of course she didn't pass up a good snog when he offered her one. Their relationship was now, on some level, an outlet for any frustration or stress they had. Not that that was healthy or good, but that's how it was. Something bothering you? Let it out with a fierce battle of lips clashing.

Lily knew very well that she shouldn't be kissing him, as she was only making her problems worse. She knew that she was being irresponsible and a horrible example for younger children, but this night seemed to be not real at all and therefore not a problem. They both felt as if it was the sun that brought back reality, and that during it's absence they were free to do whatever they wanted, just for tonight. Although this certainly wasn't true, the confused aura gave that illusion.

At first, Lily had to admit that seeing James drunk was frightening. Not because of the way he acted, he wasn't at all rude or harsh to her in any way. It was simply the sight of seeing him drunk, holding a bottle in his hand, that triggered far too many unpleasant memories. But still, he was gentle when he touched her, his tone never became harsh- in fact, he was very controllable.

And cute, very cute.

"Lily?" He had called to her, taking a swig out of his bottle as he leaned back onto the sofa.

"What?" Lily asked, looking up at him from across the couch.

"You know what I think?" James began merrily, "I think you and me, we need to get married. "

Lily let out a bark of laugher, "Married? Us?"

"Married, us. It'd be fun, we could run away and live in a small hut on Scotland, or something, maybe. Wouldn't that be brilliant? We'd never have to see Mary again!"

Lily gave him a soft smile, "It would."

James gave a pleasant sigh and took another gulp of the entrancing drink. "So, what'd you say? Marry me?"

She gave a large grin and blushed un-willingly, "Of course I'll marry you. When should our big day be?"

"Right now," he said, "We can get married now. Come, kiss me." James extended his arms and allowed Lily to crawl into them. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he bent down and placed a sweet kiss on her lips.

"You're so cheesy," she sighed wistfully.

"But you know you love me,"

"I do." She admitted, pecking his lips again as if there was a taste of something sweet on them.

He gave a large grin and a happy sigh. "I feel…happy," he announced.

"That's good. Any reason why?" She asked, happy to hear that his mood had most definitely got better…even if it was because he was drunk.

"Because," he said into her ear in a sing-song voice, "I think I love you."

"D-do you?"

James didn't answer, his lips now assaulting her neck in the most seductive fashion. Oh, he was much too good at this.

Lily urged to turn around and return the assault, to get lost once again in a whirl of lacked self-control with him. Yet, she didn't, and only allowed him to work his way up her neck and then place a fiery kiss on her aching lips. Then, for her sake and his, she broke away from him and gave a loud cough.

"I think it's time for you to go to bed," she said, sounding like an overprotective mother.

James looked a little taken aback but nonetheless stood up, "Oh, okay."

Lily stood as well and gave an awkward look around the room, "Do you want me to place a sobering charm on you?"

He shook his head, no.

Regardless, she said, "I think I will, or else you won't get to sleep."

She whipped out her wand and placed it to his temple. Muttering a few words of nonsense and a quick flick, James' eyes instantly lost that hazy dream-like appearance they had, and it was obvious that now he was grimly sober. Yet, a shadow that had been there lingering his eyes previously seemed to manifest itself even more strongly, and Lily wished for a moment he was drunk and happy instead of sober and dour.

"Now do you want me to escort you to your bedroom?"

This time James nodded, and Lily, taking his hand, dragged him to his room where he shamelessly stripped of all clothes except for his blue plaid boxers. Lily at first gulped loudly and tried not to stare at his muscles which were too ridiculously built. Why do guys have to have beautiful, gorgeous, sexy muscles? She didn't have any, she only had flab. Ugh.

Then James kind of…tripped his way over to his bed and managed to somehow gracefully fall under the covers in the process of doing so. He sighed happily in bed, his eyelids drooping as he realized how tired he was. Lily watched with a bittersweet smile on her face as he moved around in the covers, trying to find a comfortable spot.

His eyes fluttered open and he looked at Lily with an unreadable expression on his face. Then he muttered something un-comprehendible to her.

"What?" She asked, walking closer to his bedside.

"I said, do you I get a goodnight kiss?" James repeated in a louder voice.

God, he looked so very innocent tucked into bed like a good little boy…well, maybe one kiss…

"Fine, just a quick little kiss though, okay?" She warned. James nodded obediently.

"Okay…" Lily quickly leaned in and placed a quick peck on his lips. But the little liar had plans of his own, and somehow managed to trap Lily into a furiously strong, unexpected kiss that for a moment wanted to make her give into his imploring. God! Why did he have to be so good at these kinds of things? Why was kissing him so damn addictive, as if it was oxygen in her lungs or water in a scorching dessert? When she _did_ break away from him, it felt like she had to rip her lungs out to do so. She immediately got herself as far away as she could from James. It was as if even being around him made her senses whirl.

From across the room Lily whispered to him, "Goodnight," with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Night," He whispered back to her, a distressed look now clouding his previous smile.

Even as Lily walked back to her room, got ready for bed, and even when the lights were shut off and she was deep inside her covers…all she could think about was how she never thought it possible for such a wonderful kiss to hurt so incredibly much.

* * *

The next morning James was gone from his bed, and the whole ordeal seemed to be surreal and had faded with the stars and moon. That's what it was: an event to never be talked about again, except for maybe in the future, much later in the future when their relationship wasn't as unbalanced as it currently was. It took Lily a moment to even process the fact, for the second time, that Mary was pregnant with James' baby.

No, it wasn't real. It couldn't be. Could it?

Lily threw the jumbled thoughts into the closet of her mind and simply got ready for school as she did every other day. However, things kept reminding her that this was not every other day. Nothing seemed right- her clothes felt stiff on her body, her mind seemed to be vacant and somewhere else, daydreaming about something more pleasant than reality.

She was so absent minded, in fact, that as she ran towards the hallway in hopes to still catch breakfast, she ran head-on into another student, sending them both flying backwards.

"Oh, damn, I'm sorry!" Lily cried as the other person stumbled backwards and dropped a few of their books. Lily couldn't see the girl's face, but the brown hair was very familiar…

The girl looked up with bright eyes of laughter, "Lily! How lovely to run head on into you first thing in the morning."

"Leah?" She said in dumbfounded surprise.

"Surprise!" Leah shouted and wrapped Lily into warm hug.

Still not overcome by her shock, the return of the hug was delayed a few moments. But when it finally registered, Lily hugged Leah as hard as her muscles would squeeze.

"What are you doing here?" She squealed with excitement, for a moment forgetting everything that had been happening.

"Well, I'm coming back for two days, it's part of the whole, 'come back to society' thing. I decided to make it a surprise! Are you surprised?"

"Very. So, how are you doing?" Lily asked pleasantly.

"Ridiculously fine, and you my darling?"

Lily opened her mouth and was about to reply something witty like, 'Fine, because you haven't been here, honey', but instead found herself opening her mouth and no words coming out. She closed it, stared at Leah for a moment, then burst into unexpected tears.

_"Am I crying? Holy shit I am…oh God this sucks. Why do I have to cry at the worst times? I don't want to cry. Stop crying Lily, stop it!"_ Lily thought to herself, but found the tears pouring down even harder.

Leah was even more shocked, she blinked once or twice before wrapping Lily up into a hug, "How much have I missed?" She asked with concern.

"Y-y-you can't imagine," she sniffed.

"Let's go to your room before any of the little firsties think their Head Girl is a melodramatic melt-down." Leah hushed and led Lily back to her room.

"She is." Lily chuckled, but the laughter was rather dim.

Luckily her room was just about a minute away and everyone was downstairs eating breakfast and the hallway was completely abandoned.

"Today's a Quiditch match," Leah informed Lily as they made their way.

"Really? Oh shit, I c-completely forgot!" Lily groaned, wiping her eyes, gaining a little more composure as they walked.

"Yes, really, and I believe you're going to be expected to come."

"Oh, screw them, if I don't make it they're going to have to go on without me." Lily mumbled irritably.

Leah just smiled as they scrambled into Lily's room. They sat themselves on the bed, lounging comfortably, Lily hugging a pillow while Leah was sprawled across the foot of the bed.

"So, you want to tell me what happened?" Leah asked.

Lily nodded but said nothing.

"…well?"

Lily took a deep breath and said, as quickly as she could spit out the dirty words, said, "James got Mary pregnant."

"Excuse me?" Leah asked, abruptly sitting herself up.

"James. Got. Mary-"

"PREGNANT?"

"Yes."

"Holy fuck! Shit! Damn, hell no, you're kidding!" Leah cried angrily. The look Lily was wearing answered her question well enough.

Leah sat in silence for a moment, mouth drooping open in aghast surprise as she tried to fathom the idea. "When did he find out?" She asked, her voice soft.

"Yesterday," Lily said, her voice shaking and incredibly high.

Leah gave herself a moment to soak it in. "Wow."

"Yeah."

"That's horrible. And good at the same time, I guess, because well, someone being born isn't horrible…just the conditions, I guess." She said with a sad smile. Lily just nodded quickly in agreement, biting her lip, as if that would contain her tears.

"Are you sure?" Leah asked suspiciously after a moment of silence.

"James believes her."

"You never know with her."

"Then we'll double check?"

"We should…although I don't know if even she's stupid enough to make something like that up."

"I guess…I…I really don't know." Lily admitted weakly.

"Oh man. This is bad. What's James going to do?"

"I don't know."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know."

Leah gave a long sigh. "Well, Lily, you have to understand where James is coming from."

"What do you mean?" Lily snapped, rather defensively.

"Don't take it wrong, I just mean here we're talking about family and blood. You're not one bit familiar with the system of the wizarding world, particularly purebloods or rich, royal family's like James'. An illegitimate child is outlasted and ignored, considered as _dirty._ The parents are considered as whores, perverts and sluts, often thrown out of any clubs they're in, discriminated, rejected; life is not the bit pleasant. He wouldn't like that life for his child or him, but especially his child. He would just be doing the responsible thing."

"Why do they care so much?" She asked softly.

Leah shrugged, "It's beyond me. You know James cares strongly about anyone he loves…and once he has a child, no matter who the other half of the child came from, they're priority."

"He'll marry her if he has to," Lily came to the conclusion, and let out a long shaky sigh. "Oh, I do hate melodrama," she mumbled.

"Don't we all?"

"Yes…it's just…I like James a lot. I mean, a lot, it's crazy how much I do and I love it in the most dreadful way. I don't know how I'm supposed to contain myself once he's eternally bounded under the church of God or something."

"You _will _have to contain yourself. Even if you love him-"

"I don't _completely_ love him!"

"-and he loves you, he'll be married and it would be slutty to go chasing after him and lead him on. It's torture for the poor guy!"

Lily gave a frustrated look, "It would wouldn't it? Oh good God I've been a horribly selfish whore! Leading him on while he had a girlfriend…snogging him right after he gets back from outings with Mary. I'm so…urgh!" Lily threw herself backwards onto the bed in exasperation.

"There, there, it happens to all of us."

"Why does life have to be so…"

"Shitty?"

"Yes."

"And confusing?"

"Yes!"

"And bipolar?"

"EXACTLY! If life was a person, they'd be a schizophrenic, bipolar freak."

Leah laughed, "A rather interesting person life is."

Lily gave a soft smile which slowly faded as she returned to her state of confusion.

"I'm just going to have to get over it." She stated.

"_If_ Mary ends up being impregnated with James' child," Leah reminded her.

"Let's hope she's just a lying motherfucker!"

"Vulgar," was the only thing Leah could respond to the comment.

"Life is vulgar," she replied with a hint of a teasing smile on her face.

"Shall we add that to our list of traits?"

"We shall."

Leah gave a sigh, "It doesn't seem real."

"Not one bit."

"It'll take a while to sink in won't it?"

"Yes."

"Well, if you're only going to give me short answers and have nothing else to say, should we go to the Quiditch game already? They'll be starting anytime, and I'm sure James will be horribly disappointed if you don't go. And it's your duty, as Head Girl."

Lily gave a small smile, "Alright, let's go. I can't let the firsties down can I?"

"They might cry!"

"Wouldn't want that," she said good-naturedly as they began to walk out the door again.

"Poor babies, then it'd be all your fault! Mothers would be writing angry letters and…well, they might just have to give the Head badge to someone else. Someone much more responsible than thou…like, well, me!"

Lily giggled horribly, trying to imagine Leah as Head Girl but stopped at the image of her demanding everyone to run around naked. She was surprised at how good she was feeling at the moment, despite the fact she was crazy over a guy who got his bitch of a girlfriend pregnant…maybe it was having Leah there. It's amazing what a smile and a hug can do to you; in the presence of a good friend even some of the biggest wounds seem not so deep at all.

But the piercing gash's deep penetration seemed to make its painful presence once again as she walked into the busy Great Hall. Lily put a hand on Leah's shoulder as she felt her tense up at the staring eyes, everyone aware that Leah was back and what had happened. They whispered frantically at each other, starting rumors and speculations that were probably far from the truth about what had happened that night when she had been sent out. Leah focused on the ground, put walked onward confidently, and Lily had to admire her determination. She, on the other hand, while trying to focus on her friend's more important worries, found it hard when the very girl who had crafted this evil tangle was staring at her with almost smirking eyes. Lily knew that moment, if she hadn't known before, that it was all a tale creatively spun to trap James in her web of desperation. There was absolutely no way Mary was pregnant with James' baby…she could see written all over her gloating expression. Her fists clenched and unclenched dangerously, but Lily restrained herself from creating an outburst…well, at least, she'd wait for a more appropriate time.

Instead she walked Leah over to the Gryffindor table, where they always sat, where the familiar faces were waiting for them with a welcoming expression. Still, as Lily looked closer at Remus' eyes, behind his happy smile there was definitely a pile of stress. Full moon was arriving, James had impregnated a bitch, Leah was back, NEWTS was around the corner, Voldemort was stronger than ever now…things certainly were getting hard these days.

As the two girls sat down, Remus threw Lily a sympathetic, understanding smile, although she was rather sure he didn't quite understand. Still, she appreciated his sympathetic nature, and flashed him back the happiest smile she could. He then gave Leah a quick kiss on the cheek, which she took well.

They were able to gobble down a bit of egg and toast before everyone was rounded up, by Lily and Remus, since James was playing Quiditch. For the most part she didn't have to scream at seventh years to get going- it was a blessing to be out of the intense studying atmosphere that every classroom had. They willingly ran- no, sprinted really- to the bleachers. The first, second, and third years, however, were the ones that made her wish she could pass the job onto someone like Mary- just to see them buckle under the pressure.

"Tommy, get going, don't make me take 10 points off my own house!" Lily threatened at a twelve-year-old blonde boy who was too busy pulling a shrieking girl's braids to listen to Lily's frantic yelling.

"Tommy! TOMMY! That's it, ten points from Gryffindor!" She shouted at the now shocked looking boy.

"BUT I'M A GRYFFINDOR!" He cried.

"Does it look like I care? Now stop annoying Genna and get going to the pitch," she scolded in a very motherly fashion.

"Fine!" He turned around and sent a death glare at the brown-haired, blue-eyed girl.

Then, much to Lily's surprise, the girl Genna shouted, "Keep walking, asshole!"

Lily's mouth opened, "Genna! Language, please!"

"Oh, come on, I hear you cursing out Sirius in the common room. How's this any different?"

Lily blushed and whispered, "If you have to curse him out, don't do it in the hallway, yeah?"

"Fine, but he deserves it! He's been annoying me ever since…well, EVER!" She shouted. Genna was a cute girl, Lily had always liked her, she had tutored her in Charms when she had been in sixth year.

Lily felt the urge to say, _"Well, maybe he likes you!"_ After all, she had seen Tommy looking at Genna nervously when she was turned in the other direction. Yet, Lily resisted, and instead replied, "Well, if I see him making fun of you again I'll give him detention with McGonogall, okay?"

Genna grinned, "Okay! Thanks, Lily."

"No problem, now hurry up and go to the bleachers before I take points off you, too."

Genna wasted no time in scurrying off with her other girlfriends, who were waiting for her impatiently a few meters away but dared not to go closer, knowing that Lily was as cranky as hell and wouldn't hesitate to zap 200 points from them if she caught them loitering.

A nostalgic smile crept onto her face as she thought of all the good times she had spent quarrelling, slapping, cursing out James. Ah, good times. Oh, she desperately needed to find a way to forget those happy days...

"Having fun yelling at the second years?" A deep voice said from behind her.

She flipped around and said casually, not even thinking about who it was, "Oh yes, it's horribly fun. Although I must say I'd rather be swimming butt-naked in freezing water than being out here."

Then she realized with embarrassment that it was James, the boy who she almost-kind-of-loved who had gotten Mary pregnant.

_"No,"_ Lily corrected herself, "_who had t_hought_ he got Mary pregnant, but was horribly mistakend." _

Talking to James like that had become such a habit that Lily (now biting her lip, embarrassed at her outburst) realized how hard it was going to be to shift their relationship.

James gave a small chuckle, his eyes not lighting up as they usually did when he laughed. Lily returned a weak smile and began to make her way to the Quiditch pitch, not waiting for James to walk with her- she didn't think she would be able to stand that. James did follow her though, much to her dismay and elation. At first they walked in silence, Lily trying to walk faster, James always catching up. To her annoyance, the Quiditch pitch wasn't too close, either.

Suddenly, Lily abruptly stopped as she remembered James was supposed to be playing Quiditch. She turned to him and cried frantically, "What are you doing? Go play Quiditch!"

"They're not starting yet," he told her calmly, "They're waiting for McGonogall to get down."

"So…what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be practicing with your team or something? It's against Slytherin!"

"Probably."

Lily found James very aggravating at the moment. "Then go, goddamnit!"

"I want to talk to you," he insisted.

She gave an irritated sigh, "What is there to talk about?"

James laughed sourly, "What _isn't_ there to talk about?"

"Well, before a Quiditch match isn't exactly the best moment."

"No, but if I don't say something now I won't later." He told her, and she knew it was true.

"Then don't tell me!" She said stubbornly.

"Fine, I won't!

"Okay, good!"

They kept walking stiffly and angrily, Lily folding her arms immaturely against her chest in annoyance. Seconds later Lily randomly stopped again, grabbing James by the arm to hold him down as well. He, just as irritated, exclaimed, "So NOW you want to talk?"

"Mary isn't pregnant, she's a lying whore!" She found herself yelling.

"Why would she be lying? Who the hell would lie about that?" He shouted defensively.

"Mary!"

The truth was, in an obscure, hardly-there-but-still-there kind of way, he was very glad Mary had been pregnant. He knew just as much as Lily did that finally being with her would lead them both into some unstoppable danger- Mary's confession seemed to be a one last chance to avoid whatever disaster was sure to come.

"Lily, I don't want her to have my kids, trust me, and I don't want to marry her, and you know that. But some things you can't just change!"

"Make her take a damn pregnancy test to prove it, or something!"

"How do you think she _knows_?" He rolled his eyes.

"Well, an official one, at the Hospital Wing so you know she's not making it up."

"And if it turned out that it was true, then what? What would you do? Would you let me kiss you still? And hug you? And would you pretend nothing was wrong like you always do? You always seem to push your troubles to the back of your mind, away in a tiny little box to never again pick up. One day you really are going to end up forgetting, and then it'll all happen again because you never dealt with it!"

Lily threw him an aghast look, rather outraged by the detailed but incredibly true description of the way her mind worked. Until now she hadn't realized that he knew her very, very well- more than he had brought on.

"And if it turned out to be true, which it won't be, then I'd try once again to forget that I ever looked at you that way. Would I at least be allowed to forget that?" Lily responded, her eyes tracing the wind-blown patterns swept onto the grass absently.

No, she would _not_ be allowed to! Suddenly, the thought of Lily moving on, getting a boyfriend that wasn't him, kissing lips that weren't his, holding a hand that did not belong to him…the thoughts were very dizzying, frightening…borderline horrifying. What was he saying? He damn wanted to be the "special guy", not anyone else!

Why was he trying to convince Lily that Mary was indeed pregnant, when that's not what he wanted to happen at all? He was cushioning the fall he might very well have to jump, he realized. In the end it didn't matter if he was wrong- in fact, he wanted to be wrong, to be so desperately wrong. But there was always that looming doubt, the one that made your head turn back, you breath hitch, your feet hesitate…it was there and fully acknowledged.

Although he wanted to lose, he continued to argue, a little less intense and really only repeating point after point that had already been made. But, that's how all their fights always were, no?

"I still think this is ridiculous of you," he told her. "I can't believe you honestly think someone would lie about being pregnant! Mary's a Ravenclaw, Lily, she's smarter than to make something like that up."

Then suddenly Lily gave him a frantic look and put an obviously fake smile on her face and continued to walk as if nothing had happened, then shot him a desperate glance to do the same. Seconds after they began to walk she casually tossed a glance over her head and pleasantly called, "Oh, hi Professor!"

With a sudden pang of terror, James realized that McGonogall had been walking closely behind. Her bun was woven tightly at the top of her head- as usual, but her lips seemed to be pressed together so tight that they had turned into a skinny, red line that's graveness seemed to be a punishment itself. Had she overheard the last snippet of their conversation?

She did not respond immediately, and the two teenagers came to a stop as she strode towards them in unbelievably long steps.

_"Did I just overhear you correctly?"_ She ordered sternly once she reached them, her eagle eyes floating over them like the talons of a bird about ready to swoop down upon them.

Neither dared to speak, looking at her with rather afraid expressions. She observed them both piercingly for a few seconds before deciding to take their silence as an answer.

"You two, come with me," she ordered, and James began to panic.

"Professor, the Quiditch game! I can't be gone, the team needs me, I'm captain!"

"I'm aware of that, Mr. Potter, although I have to say that one loss will not really effect your standing for the Quiditch Cup, seeing as you've won them all so far and have one more to go…"

"Please!" He cried frantically, "After the game I'll do whatever, but please, please, PLEASE can we wait until after the game?"

Lily, who was a major fan of Quiditch, was inwardly just as desperate to stay and watch the game, although out of stubbornness did not say this aloud.

The Professor grudgingly gave them both a last look and said, "Very well, I will allow you to stay for the game, but I will call you into my office before lunch…and bring Ms. Davids with you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." Lily muttered, feeling very embarrassed.

Lily expected her to say something else, but she seemed too baffled to really speak. Not wasting anytime, Lily and James quickly turned and walked quickly to the nearing Quiditch Pitch, taking the rout their aghast professor was not taking.

"Lily," James started again, not bothering to stop this time and being careful to speak very softly.

"Yes?" She asked irritably.

"You said you'd be there for me, and you're not. You think you're the one who has it bad?"

Lily said nothing and continued walking, hoping maybe he'd elaborate so she wouldn't have to apologize for the fault that was obviously hers. When he didn't and stared at her expectantly, she finally burst and gave an exasperated sigh.

"Fine, fine, I'll stop being dramatic." She said, making it sound like it was a hefty sacrifice and that James should be grateful. Then she shot him a teasing half-smile to show that she really meant it.

A rather reassured smile slipped onto his worried expression, "Thanks."

"On one condition though," Lily said, pausing as they arrived to the Quiditch pitch, who's spectators were giddy with anticipation for the game to begin.

"And what's that?" He asked impatiently, his team loudly yelling at him for being "so damn slow".

"Please, please, pleeeease make Mary actually prove to you that she's pregnant. For real."

James looked skeptical for a moment then said reluctantly, "Lucky you I'm sure McGonogall will make her if I don't."

She smiled at him and had to bite her tongue from resisting to make some witty flirtatious comment. "Bye, good luck," was all she dared to say.

And before she could slip anything else out, she quickly turned around and walked as fast as she could to the bleachers where Leah and Remus were saving her a seat. After clambering through the many anxious onlookers, she found her friends and sat down with a smile at each. Almost seconds after she sat down the game began, starting with the team captains giving a firm handshake. Then, the players blasted off the ground and into the air, becoming hazy blurs as they sped about crazily.

It was obvious that things were going wrong with Lily, seeing as she wasn't as excited as she usually was about Quiditch games. Any normal day she'd be screaming and yelling, jumping up and down and shouting orders to the players despite the glares she was being thrown. Since it was Gryffindor against Slytherin, members of both houses were adorned in the most colorful, patriotic clothes and costumes they could muster. Lily was normally one of them…today, however, she sat refined her seat, watching the game silently. Correction- watching _James_ silently.

Luck did not seem to be present in James' life at the moment. Maybe it was the overwhelming amount of stress that was getting to him, but he made the most careless fumbles and drops, wrong turns, and close calls than anyone else on the pitch. Usually he was the star player, the one who made the crazy stunts, who scored the most points and defended the sanctity of the team almost heroically. But today Lily could only watch him nervously, almost sure that at any point in the game he'd just fall off his broom, ending a perfectly dreadful match with a perfectly dreadful event. It didn't help that the Slytherins, both team and watchers, jeered mockingly every time he fumbled, making him angrier and more jittery with every taunt.

But he never did fall, although by the look on his face at the end of the game, he might as well have. They had watched in horror as attempts to score were made, but with James completely out if it, that was rather hard. The other team managed to sneak in a few points here and there, and if it weren't for Gryffindor's superb Keeper and agile Seeker, they would have certainly lost the game. After about an hour and a half of a desperate battle back and forth, their Seeker, Jason Gates, caught the Snitch in a piercing and neck-to-neck dive between the two team's players. The moment his hand was enclosed around the Snitch, the look of anxiety was replaced by a look of relief on every Gryffindor's face. Well, all except for maybe James'.

As he flew down onto the ground, he felt as if the cheering was not a cry of exultation, but rather of mockery. He had just played the worst game he had ever played in his life- he didn't think he had done so badly even on his first game! It didn't matter if they had won, although it was certainly a relief, his self-confidence level had just turned down another five notches. Still, he gave and received high-fives, sometimes followed by sympathetic pats on the back. Nobody dared to ask why he had played so horribly.

"Good game, guys," he told his team, mustering the biggest, most energetic smile he could. "You all played very well, especially you, Gates."

The boy gave a modest smile as he received many pats on the back.

"Now go take showers, you all smell like shit." James dismissed, and all but Sirius charged into the changing rooms.

Sirius clapped a hand on his shoulder and said seriously (no pun intended), "Go take a break, Prongs, God knows you need it," before he too running off.

By the time crowd had dispersed, still talking eagerly about the match, James was still putting away the equipment. He looked up upon hearing light footsteps treading across the luscious grass, hoping it was Lily, but realizing it was only Mary.

Only Mary? She was having his damn baby!

Mary was wearing a meek expression on her face, moving cautiously and slowly as if she was afraid he might burst at any second. James said nothing and continued to throw some cones loudly into a large bin as if he hadn't seen her. Mary stopped a few feet away from him and watched silently until James finally looked up in irritation.

"What?" He snapped.

She blinked in astonishment at his harsh tone before stuttering nervously, "I…I…We need to talk."

"Yeah, we do," he agreed angrily and stood up straight to meet her eyes.

Mary looked sheepishly at the ground as he continued to speak.

"How sure are you that you're pregnant?" He inquired suspiciously.

"Well," Mary chuckled nervously, "when a pregnancy test tells you you're pregnant it's pretty clear…"

"And what do you want from me!" He cried, although he knew the answer far too well.

She looked at him with a dropped jaw, taken aback at his lack of awareness, "Well, you're the father! I'd like some support, at least. You can't leave me here with a pregnant stomach and nine months later a baby to look after!"

"Look," James said irritably, running a shaky hand through his hair, "I don't know how much I can trust you right now. Go to Madam Cher and we'll get another pregnancy test done, I want to be 100 sure this isn't bullshit you're pulling off. McGonogall knows that you're pregnant and I know she'll make you take about five tests."

Mary nodded quickly, nervous and ashamed, afraid and feeling incredibly sullen…even more so knowing that a teacher was aware of her lie. "I'll…I'll get it done again. And if I turn out to be pregnant?"

James didn't say anything for a moment, "Then I guess I'll have to marry you wont I? I don't want my kid being exiled from the wizarding community."

Although Mary had wished for something like_, "I guess I'll marry you because this whole deal makes me realize that I'm still madly in love with you",_ his answer was fine too.

"And if I'm not?" Mary questioned.

"Well, then I stand by what I said before. I don't want to see you again." James replied harshly, and with a slight nod he picked up the crate of cones and walked straight into the supply room, without another look or word goodbye.

Mary bit her lip nervously and slowly began to make her way back to the castle alone, as it was obvious that James would probably stay in the changing rooms until she had left completely. Not wanting to be rejected again, she left feeling incredibly grim.

Now, she applauded herself for making it this far, she would have had James completely convinced if it hadn't been for Lily, who seemed much too observant and curious for her own good. But what now? Would she be able to convince Madam Cher and Professor McGonogall that she really was pregnant? There was sure to be some spell or other…but how long could she truly keep this up? Lying was making her horribly fatigue, and she didn't know how long she could hold the weight of all those lies.

* * *

**FINALLY! It feels soooooo good to be back home. I know I should have probably told you guys, but I was busy 24/7 for two weeks because my family came over from Costa Rica. I'm anal about when I write, and I CANNOT write when there's people around. Which, really, explains my horrible lack of updating sometimes :) **

**Anyway, I hope this satisfies you; I really appreciated the reviews I got! There was such great feedback, most of you saying what a bitch Mary was. I quite agree. Haha, seriously though, I think more than half of you said "bitch" somewhere in your review. I should make people pregnant more often! **

**But yes, for those who still don't get it, Mary is not pregnant, it's all a lie. Yay! **

**Excuse Lily's emotional mess, she'll try and mop it up soon. She breaks under pressure. **

**And..hmm..oh yes, OH MY GOD! HAVE YOU ALL READ HALF BLOOD PRINCE? OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! I'm not giving any spoilers…but I SO knew and would get together, and I SO called and getting together. Proof in my story, Three Generations! But don't read that because it sucks. And I bawled at the end. So incredibly sad. sniff I'm thinking that when this story is done, I'm gonna make a story that is less AU but just as creative and not as typical. I want to take a challenge :) **

**Leave some comments! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE! By the way, my computer is being weird so there might be some typos because it sometimes mixes words together. Don't ask me. **


	34. Door Number One

**Emerald Eyes **

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything _

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_Previously_

Now, she applauded herself for making it this far, she would have had James completely convinced if it hadn't been for Lily, who seemed much too observant and curious for her own good. But what now? Would she be able to convince Madam Cher and Professor McGonogall that she really was pregnant? There was sure to be some spell or other…but how long could she truly keep this up? Lying was making her horribly fatigue, and she didn't know how long she could hold the weight of all those lies.

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Four: Door Number One **

That day went on almost dream-like. When Lily spoke her words did not belong to her, her mind was not at all linked to her mouth, and even her own laugher seemed hollow in her ears. Chatter of others was distant, as if a thick wall was separating her from them and the sound was just barley floating through. Although she was nervous and jittery for lunch, which was when McGonogall was to call Mary, James, and her up to endure hell…for some reason, she was rather glad that she _had_ to face it. Lily knew that if it was up to her, that embarrassing moment would never come, so she was incredibly relieved it was not up to her.

Sometimes, as annoying as facing things can be, you have to be rather grateful for the fact that an unavoidable force, time, is pushing you forward. As much as Lily didn't want to meet with McGonogall, she knew in the back of her mind it was necessary for this dreadful ordeal to be over with. And it was really, really getting old very fast.

The throbbing bell indicating lunch dispersed her daydreams as Lily grabbed for her schoolbooks, tossing them carelessly into her bag. Looking around, she spotted James, wearing an anxious expression much like the one she was positive she was displaying.

Leah threw her a wink of good luck and hurried along with Remus, purposely leaving her and James alone. Lily sent her a teasing "Thanks a lot bitch," kind of look back.

She awkwardly joined James at the door, greeting each other with half-smiles. They walked out of the classroom silently before Lily, desperate for some kind of conversation, asked as they rounded a corner, "Do you know why I'm even being dragged into this?"

"Yes," he replied, "Because you were the one I was arguing with when she overheard it…and in some kind of weird, twisted way, you belong perfectly well in this."

Lily said nothing to that, now feeling oddly comfortable with the silence that ensued afterwards. They turned into the Great Hall and, the moment they stepped in, were spotted by a stern looking Professor McGonogall. She had an unreadable expression on her face, but Mary, trailing behind her, looked like she was about to puke.

Lily and James shared a nervous glance before being swept up by the Professor.

"Come, both of you," she ordered sternly and the two didn't even bother to protest. They followed behind Mary, at first not even acknowledging her presence, much to Mary's distress. She tried to send a fake smile at James, but he was looking to the side, pretending not to have seen.

The Great Hall was an energetic buzz, it seemed that rumors were already starting as to what happened. Well, with three interesting victims, James, Mary, and Lily…anything was possible, really. Had Mary tried to beat Lily up for being too friendly with James? Maybe the other way around? It seemed that Mary hadn't even told her closest friends about her supposed pregnancy, and that idea was so wild and crazy that nobody even speculated it.

Lily was so consumed in inward hysteria that she didn't notice her friends giving her encouraging thumbs up before she left the scene, although I assure you if she had seen it, she surely would have been grateful. Her eyes, wild like her raging mind, searched her surroundings like crazy, trying to find a less nerve-wracking thought to concentrate on for the time being. This was seemingly impossible, however, as the only thought that came to her mind regardless of what she concentrated on was how she wanted to beat Mary to a bloody pulp.

She sped up only a slight bit, leaving her spot next to James and walking almost next to Mary, but lagging behind her just a bit. Mary threw her a nervous side-glance, quickly looking away the moment their eyes locked. The look in Lily's eyes was definitely not a pleasant one; the message was delivered very clearly.

The group came to a stop in front of a door, McGonogall noisily fetching her key ring and searching for the right one. In the hustle and bustle of everything, Lily took it as a chance to drop Mary a quick, harmless footnote.

"If this turns out to be bullshit you're pulling off…" She muttered to Mary, so softly that only them two heard it. Lily didn't have to finish the rest of her sentence, Mary clearly got her point. She was doomed.

Finally McGonogall thrust the key into the door and barged it open. "Into my office, and take a seat," she ushered.

The three students did so, Mary first, then James, then Lily at the very end. The seats they were in were facing the Professor's desk, which was covered in organized stacks of papers and shiny trinkets. The Professor took off her hat, flattened down her hair, and then sat down on the chair behind her desk. For a moment she said nothing, contemplating the appropriate words.

"Is it true, Ms. Davidson, that you are pregnant?" McGonogall inquired, cutting right to the chase.

"Yes, ma'am," she replied softly, eyes downcast.

"When did you find out about this?"

"Yesterday,"

"Did you take a test?"

"Yes,"

"What kind?"

"A…pregnancy test?" Mary said quizzically, looking at the Professor for the first time.

Professor McGonogall looked at Mary with an unreadable expression. "As I'm sure you know, because you took the test, that there are many different kinds. What kind did you take?" She repeated slowly.

"Oh," Mary chuckled nervously, "I'm sorry, I misunderstood you. I took…umm…Witch…Witch…"

"Witch Clear Indicator?" She suggested.

"Yes! That's the one,"

Lily was convinced, by the look previously on her face, that if the Professor hadn't suggested the name that Mary would not have been able to answer the question. Inwardly grumbling, she continued watching in hopes that something else would catch her. She threw a glance at James, who was fidgeting nervously in his chair. Lily didn't blame him; he was in a room full of girls on the subject of pregnancy tests…not the most comfortable situation to be in. Especially when you were accused as the father.

"Not the most reliable, but fair enough. Quick and informative nonetheless. And, are you very sure that Mr. Potter is the father?"

Mary looked at James sadly, very dramatically, and _very_ convincingly. "Yes, I'm very sure."

The Professor put a hand to her temple, looking troubled. Finally she sighed and looked at Mary, "Very well then. I want you three to know that in all my years of teaching I have only had to deal with this once before. It's a shame, you are so very young with so much to live for. Burdened by so much responsibility early on…a shame it is. I'll have to have a meeting with the teachers so that they are aware of your condition and will allow you to go to the Hospital Wing whenever you need to. Both your parents will be informed, and of course I'm sure they'll be visiting so we can discuss plans for the baby, so on and so forth. Not sure how they will take this…"

"Mr. Potter," she started again as she rose from her chair, "I want you to be aware that your Head Badge may be revoked, if the teachers find it appropriate, and I must say don't get your hopes up on remaining Head Boy. Not the best example for younger children, I hope you do understand."

The Professor spoke without a trace of emotion, almost as if she was planning a short-notice dinner party. It was very hard, after following your students for seven years, after knowing how much potential there was in each of them…and then seeing their lives turn for the worst. It saddened her every time a disaster manifested in their young lives, she was more attached to her students than they'd ever know. But, alas, she was a Professor and not a parent, which was why she always liked to keep her emotions stored away, out of sight to her pupils. But she _did_ care- she cared a lot.

Lily heard McGonogall's ramblings with an equally rambling mind, and it was then that it hit her that there was so much that Mary had not even thought of. Had she planned for her parents to be informed? Certainly not, judging by the look on her face. Had she planned on James having to give up his Head Boy position? Not at all, that would make his social standing not so respectable anymore. It had been a quick, incredibly dim-witted lie that had shot out of her mouth before she could take it back…and now, well, look what she had gotten herself into! Oh, this was going to be dreadfully amusing.

James was pale faced and glued to his chair, the difficulty of the situation magnifying itself a million times, seeming almost like a malicious monster looming over him; a tiny and useless ant. It had been a problem to his love life, yes, but now he realized that it was a huge impact on his _whole life._ There was absolutely _nothing_ that would be the same anymore. Not his relationship with his parents, or Lily, or his friends…his Saturday nights would be spent thinking responsibly, limiting his drinking, partying only minimally with friends because there was always his child to think about. He might as well wave the world he used to know and love goodbye and ask it to wish him good luck because he sure as hell would need it….

Mary looked just as bad as James, maybe even worse. For some time she had thought she would be able to deceive James into thinking just about anything, assuming the teachers were just the same. Well, maybe she had been right, but she didn't realize that it was the lie itself that would catch her in the end. Mary was digging her own grave, slowly but surely. When should she give up?

Mary, give up? No, she'd go until she couldn't go any further. Plus, it's not like she had anything more to lose. James held her self-respect, dignity and heart in his hand, not knowing how easily he could send her crashing. In her eyes, it was either lose everything by letting James go…or putting up a fight.

Finally the Professor sat back down in her chair and gave a long, stressful sigh.

"Well, now it's time to discuss plans for the baby, although we'll talk about this once again with your parents."

"Must we speak with our parents?" Mary pleaded.

"Yes, Ms. Davidson, you must. After all, you may be legal in the wizarding world, but you are still very, very young."

When nobody said anything to her comment, she continued, "When the baby is born, which should be in…Ms. Davidson, what month and day did it say the baby was due?"

"Umm…I-I don't remember Professor."

"Don't remember? I'd imagine that knowing when your child is born is of most importance!" The Professor exclaimed.

"Yes, of course, it's just slipped my mind," Mary assured her quickly.

"No, no, it's all right, we'll just give you another test."

"October!" She shouted.

"October the what?"

"October the…" Mary trailed off, trying to "recall" the day.

"Really, I don't want to stress you, we can just take the test. We have to double check the day, that's all." McGonogall said nonchalantly before rapidly continuing onto their next topic, leaving Mary's mouth half open. "It is my duty as your professor to make sure you're aware of the different options you can take. You can, always, if you want, choose abortion."

"No!" Mary cried quickly, hands grabbing dramatically at her stomach. "No, I want to keep my baby."

The Professor sighed, "Very well. Will _you_ be keeping him or her?"

Mary nodded.

"So there are no marriage arrangements?"

Everyone remained silent, fearing to say anything. Finally James, deciding he should probably get a word or two in, muttered, "No, not yet."

Lily realized that the only reason Mary hadn't rushed to shout, "Yes! James said that since I'm pregnant he'd marry me!", (although those weren't his exact words at all) was because she was waiting for the 'dramatic effect'. Mary knew acting very well; Lily had to hand it to her. She knew exactly when to pause for real-life suspense. Thankfully, James had ruined the little scene, she noticed with glee, by finally entering the conversation. After all, Mary had to have complete control of the discussion for it to run her way.

"Not yet?" The Professor repeated curiously.

"I want to make sure she's actually pregnant," James clarified in a low voice. Mary was looking even sicker now, and her gaze once again lowered to the ground as it had previously.

"You're doubting it?" McGonogall questioned in surprise.

"Well, yeah…"

"In that case, it's even more important that you take the test soon. The most efficient one is a spell; I'll have Madame Cher assist you, Mary. Because it is the most efficient and informative, however, it takes a day or so to process. I think we can spare the time, can't we?"

"Can't Madame Cher just tell me how to do it?" Mary asked hopefully.

"Of course not! Didn't you read the booklet that came in the test?" The Professor cried with surprise.

"Umm…I didn't, no." Mary replied sheepishly.

"Honestly! A Ravenclaw!" McGonogall muttered, shaking her head with disappointment. Mary looked like she was about to erupt into frantic tears; she had never before been in this kind of situation where a _teacher_ disapproved of her actions. It was shameful and embarrassing, and Mary didn't like it one bit.

"The spell can be dangerous if not performed correctly, so Madame Cher will have to do it for you so it doesn't go wrong. I have to say, Ms. Davidson, that you don't know very much about your pregnancy for someone who says they're pregnant." She commented suspiciously.

"Stress, nervousness." Mary gave an anxious chuckle.

"Very well, I have nothing more to say to any of you, the rest can wait until your parents arrive."

The two teenagers flinched, while Lily just sat wondering curiously, again, why she had been dragged in here. Certainly there was a_ reason. _

"Ms. Davidson, Mr. Potter, you both are excused," she said dismissively. Then, turning to Mary, she ordered, "You must go straight to the Hospital Wing, Madame Cher is expecting you," she ordered, and Mary gave a short nod. "As for you, Mr. Potter, you may go back to your classes. Ms. Evans, I'd like to have a word with you."

The pair stood up silently, rather awkwardly, looking grave and afraid to take a step forward because with each step came another package of anxiety and distress to put on their backs. But soon enough they were gone after muttering their half-hearted goody-byes and thank you ma'am's. Now only Lily sat, petrified in her seat, afraid of what the Professor would tell her. It looked like she wasn't in a hurry to inform her, either.

She rambled around her desk, pretending to look for nothing, stalling awkwardly and very conspicuously. Finally, she straightened herself, laced her hands together, and placed them importantly on the desk, staring straight into Lily's eyes.

"Ms. Evans, as your Professor this probably is not the most comfortable of things to discuss with you, but I believe it is very important," McGonogall started slowly, trying to sound as dignified and professional as possible.

Oh shit, what was she going to talk to Lily about? Sex? Drugs? Rock and Roll? Was she going to give her…'the talk'? God forbid that! But no, it turned out she just wanted to talk to her about James. Figures.

"I realize that after the both of you sharing Head Duty, you have built a very close relationship with him."

Lily didn't bother to correct her, because she was absolutely right. Now, what this had to do with anything was beyond her, so she curiously sat and listened.

"However, since you are Muggleborn, I don't believe you have a very clear view about things that have been happening lately," she explained cautiously, picking her words very meticulously.

Lily raised an eyebrow and responded, despite of herself, "I read the _Prophet_ all the time, ma'am."

"I'm aware of that, but you must understand that the _Prophet_ doesn't even report half of today's going-ons. Were you aware that yesterday a man working at the Ministry was found under the Imperious Curse? The _Prophet_ didn't report it because the Ministry did not want the public to know."

"Really?" Lily was never aware that the Ministry had influence over the _Daily Prophet_ . She had always thought of it as her reliable source of information, one thing she could rely on to get the truth from.

"Yes, it's a very sad state that the wizarding world is now-a-days," she said sadly. "Hogwarts is a sanctuary from it, but I do believe that at least the seventh years, who are about to step into the disastrous world, should be a least bit aware of what is going on. However, the Ministry has forbidden us from doing so, so we remain silent and secretive. Still, I feel that I should warn you, at the very least, and let you know about what you've been dealing with."

Lily said nothing, and the Professor continued.

"The Potters come from a long line of Aurors- very good ones, noble, respected. They were all married to other purebloods, all of them rich and respected as well. Most of the people they associate with are much like them, and for the Potters it's not out of hate or dislike for other kinds of people, simply a custom. "

"Because of the Potter's long line of Aurors, they have always been a target for cruelty from Death Eaters and the like. I don't know if you know this, but Mrs. Potter accidentally killed a very important Death Eater, when James was about five or so."

Yes, Lily did remember him vaguely telling her that. Lily could sympathize with his mother, she had as well.

"Mr. Potter was also a very effective Auror in his younger years. And of course, as I'm sure you know, one of the best ways of hurting someone is hurting a person they love. It has happened many times in the past that family friends and relatives of the Potters have been murdered, as well as maids and cooks that work in the house in an attempt to get information out of them. Actually, sometimes it's out of plain evil that they kill, sometimes with the only motive to emotionally scar. But the point of all of this is I want you to be aware that you are a very clear target."

Lily blinked for a moment, trying to conceive what Professor McGonogall was saying. She had never thought about that before, had never considered _herself_ being a target. She had never considered any of her friends targets, either, except for maybe Leah. She mentally slapped herself for not realizing it then; almost everyone she _knew_ was in very clear danger. Why hadn't she realized this before? Oh, right, she was too busy falling in love with James to realize the state of the world. Damn him.

Suddenly, life and what really lay out there became devastatingly clear. Disastrously real. The horrible things that she read about in the _Daily Prophet_, which she just learned was only the beginning, was no longer just news. The horrible deaths and murders were a threat, and very real.

"Oh," was all Lily managed to say in her state of shock.

"Not only because you are a very close friend of the Potter's. It's also because you are a Muggleborn, very smart, and soon to be an Auror, judging by the way things are going. I just wanted you to be aware before you started preparing to become one. I wasn't sure you were aware of the harsh reality you will face if you still decide to take the job."

"I wasn't, thank you," she said softly.

They sat in silence for a moment, Lily looking down at the ground but feeling the Professor's gaze surveying her analytically. Finally, in a concluding tone, McGonogall told her, "You make return to your classes now. Just be careful, Lily."

"Thank you Professor, I will."

Lily stood, her body trembling ever so slightly due to the amount of realization that had hit her in such a short time. With a tipsy smile, she scurried out of the office, leaving a pondering Professor alone in her dim cave. The moment the door was closed behind Lily, she felt a wave of relief flow through her as she heard comforting chatter from the Great Hall. Although she wished more than ever to join them happily- she knew she couldn't. Lily had feeling that Mary was still up to something.

So instead she merely swung by their table, promising her four friends she'd inform them later on what happened, asking for them only to keep an eye on Mary. When they agreed eagerly, Lily took off towards the Hospital Wing with a jittery feeling in her stomach. As she ran through the corridors, impatient to get there as fast as possible, she felt like she could take on just about anything at that given moment.

Lily arrived slowly to the Hospital Wing, the feeling of exhilaration that she had when sneaking about reminding her of a time ages and ages ago, it seemed. She remembered days when she was seven or eight, where her days which, although on retrospect were not really fun at all, were at least simple. Scrambling on all fours, she'd sneak into Petunia's bedroom and retrieve a highly off limits and dangerous item- her sister's diary. Although it was a clear violation of trust, the feeling of sneaking about was definitely enough of a motive. What ever happened to the days when hearing the ice cream man's jingling tunes approaching closer and closer truly made your day? Or when retrieving your sister's diary was about the biggest rule you could break?

She smiled slightly in her misty nostalgia, but as soon as it had come, it was gone, because she had a mission to perform. Although a slight bit more complicated than retrieving Petunia's diary, it settled her nerves to think it was as simple as that.

So Lily slipped into the Hospital Wing, making sure not to make any loud noises as she did. Thankfully, the first part of the Hospital Wing was more storage space than anything else. And by the sounds of it, Mary was with Madame Cher in her office, their voices floating out of the room perfectly intact.

Lily hid slightly to the right behind a file cabinet and eavesdropped on the small conversation.

"Alright…here, take this," she heard Madame Cher say in a light voice. Yes, Lily would be rather dazed too if one of her patients were pregnant at seventeen. Not something you particularly expected, was it?

"What is this?" Mary asked innocently.

"See, this here is a potion that needs to sit in your system for twenty four hours, then when the time is up we'll give you another potion, then take a drop of your blood, and it'll tell us everything we need to know about that little baby."

Then there was the sound of Cher rummaging through papers and items and then finally exclaiming, "Aha! Here, a pamphlet on the potion, pregnancy, etc. Read it, it has some important safety measures that you must be aware of. I want you to know that if you have any questions, you to know that you can come straight to me," she said in that "grown up voice" that all adults have.

"Okay," Mary replied, her tone revealing the fact that she wanted to be out of the uncomfortable Hospital Wing as soon as she possibly could.

"Alright, well, if everything's settled, you may leave. Have a nice day, Mary."

"You too," she replied instinctively.

Lily heard Mary rise from her chair followed by the pitter-pattering footsteps of her walking towards the exit. Having absolutely no further time or warning, Lily was forced to remain in her not too discreet hiding place and just hoped that Mary would not see her.

Lucky for Lily, she didn't. Mary seemed to be so distracted and deeply immersed in her own thoughts that she didn't even glance in her direction. She waited thirty seconds after Mary exited the Hospital Wing, and then scrambled out of the hiding spot, scurrying out the door in hopes to still be able to catch a glimpse of her.

The hallway was practically abandoned except for the small figure of Mary, already a good deal ahead of Lily. Glancing at her watch, she realized she only had fifteen minutes before classes started again. Ah well, it seems like she'd be skipping lunch today.

Making sure to stay a considerable amount of distance behind Mary, Lily followed the girl to, as she had figured, the library. Ducking behind opposite shelves and making sure to put whatever book she randomly held right in front of her face, Lily really found no trouble spying on Mary's studies. She was picking out books that later, upon inspecting the things she remembered Mary taking out, read titles like, "Medical Potions and Reversing Spells." So, using what little inference skills Lily did have, she guessed that Mary was simply going to try and stop the spell. Lily didn't understand why this would help, it would not make James marry her, nor make her seem pregnant at all, it would simply make the potion in her bloodstream obsolete.

She stood there in the library, Mary now gone and Lily feeling ridiculously frustrated. She shut the book she held in her hands shut in aggravation and jammed it back into the shelves. What the hell was Mary doing? There was no possible way she was going to be able to pull this off, Lily knew that Mary was as aware of this as she was. So, why was she fighting?

_"Sometimes people just need to admit defeat,"_ Lily thought to herself as she rushed out of the library. This was really a very ironic thought, coming from Lily. She was, after all, the Queen of Stubborn.

So Lily returned to her classes just in time, a good enough amount of information learned, although she was still feeling deeply troubled. As usual, she found it incredibly hard to concentrate, her mind tired from constantly racing. She did pull through, however, and made it out in one piece by the time the final bell rang. Well, just barley anyway. And as usual, the moment they were out of class Lily dragged her friends (except for James, who was off doing who knows what) to her room so she could tell them the state the situation was in. Peter, having nowhere else to go, joined them as well.

"Lily, do you have any food?" Sirius whined as they barged into her dorm.

"No, I don't, but I'm sure James has some in his trunk somewhere," Lily assured him as she tossed her books carelessly to the side.

"Padfoot, you ate half the fucking sandwiches on the plate, and you're _hungry?_" Remus exclaimed.

"Of course I am! I'm a growing boy, and growing boys like me need their food," He told them proudly.

Leah laughed and rolled her eyes, "Guys, we're here so we can learn about Mary's supposed pregnancy, not to talk about Sirius' growth spurts."

"Thank you Leah. Sirius, I'm sorry, but I'm already familiar with your eating habits and do not really need to know about them. You and I will go get a snack after I inform you all, I'm starving as well." Lily said as she plopped down onto her bed.

"Where's Jamsie-poo?" Sirius asked, and Lily rolled her eyes.

"How am I supposed to know? Now let me tell you what I've found out," she said impatiently.

Smirking, Sirius replied, "Seeing as you're practically attached to him by the hip- or would mouth be more appropriate?" Lily shot him a well-placed glare. "Anyway, since you two have been inseparable, I'd think you would know of his whereabouts. Hey Pete, you have the map?"

The boy nodded and pulled out the Marauder's Map, and with it a handful of candy wrappers.

"Eww, Wormtail, when was the last time you cleaned out your pockets?" Sirius cried in disgust as he quickly snatched the map away.

Peter just shrugged, as Peter always did. He sat down on the desk chair and pretended to look interested.

Sirius surveyed the map and then reported, "He's in the Astronomy Tower."

"With who?" Remus inquired.

"No one, he's alone. Probably brooding over his life, regretting fucking Mary and praying to God that his parents won't castrate him." Sirius laughed at his friend's unfortunate life and then, as if he had just remembered, asked Lily, "So yes, you wanted to tell us something?"

"Yes," she said impatiently, "I do. And you, for once, are going to listen."

He raised his hands defensively so Lily chose to continue. She replayed to them every detail that she could possibly recall of the talk with the professor and the snooping on Mary. When she finished telling her story, everyone seemed to be thinking hard. Well, seemed. Sirius actually was pretending to stroke an imaginary beard, a very, very long beard. Lily had the faint impression he hadn't listened to a word she said.

"So what's the pregnancy test? Taking a potion, waiting a day, drinking another one then taking a drop of blood?" Leah double-checked.

"I think that's what she said."

"Well, in that case, you have nothing to worry about Lily."

"What!"

"Mary's probably going to do some canceling or reversing spell, right?"

Lily nodded.

"Well, it's kind of obvious that if you have a strong potion working in your body, placing any strong spells into your bloodstream to clash against them always backfires pretty badly. Common knowledge." Leah told them with a shrug.

"Definitely _not_ common knowledge. How do you know this? Have _you_ been having pregnancy scares?" Sirius accused.

"No! A nurse in St. Mungo's told me," she told Sirius pointedly.

"Does it really backfire?" Lily asked hopefully.

"Yeah. And if not…well, really the only thing we can do is wait it out. There are some things you can't do anything about, you just have to see how it goes,"

Lily gave a long sigh, "Yeah, I guess."

"I don't think we have to worry, there's no way that Mary can avoid this one." Remus assured.

"Let's hope, right?"

"Right!" Sirius declared impatiently, standing up. "Now come on Lilers, let's go to the to kitchens!"

"Anyone have anything else to say?" Leah asked officially.

When no one said anything, Lily stood. "In that case, I must go to the kitchens as well, because I'm as hungry as hell. Anyone else coming?"

"Nah, I'm staying here," Leah voiced and the other two shook their heads.

"Alright losers, catch you on the flip side," Lily called before slamming the door shut on her way out.

"She is such a freak," Leah laughed with a shake of her head.

By the time James returned to the common room, it was already night and Lily was curled under the covers tight. It was raining outside in heavy downpours, and for some time Lily wondered if it was really rain, or if it was just Sirius dumping bottomless buckets of water down on her window. She found no sleep easily that night, for some reason the shadows seemed to be darker and the night to be blacker. When she heard James walk into his room and saw his lights turn on from the crack in the door, she let out a loud sigh of relief in knowing at least James, no matter who he got "pregnant", was right next door.

Ten minutes later, after hearing him clamber ungracefully into the bathroom and then out, the light clicked off and there was silence once again. This time, it wasn't as bad; she knew James was right in his bed, reachable whenever she needed him to be.

So, rather forcefully, she closed her eyes and forced sleep upon her tired body. However, her mind didn't seem to want to sleep just yet…

_Lily found herself outside the door of a very lovely blue house. The sun was shining brightly; she could almost feel the warmth upon her hair and sweat dripping down her forehead, so clearly it didn't even seem like a dream. She found herself knocking three times on a newly painted white door. After running a hand through her hair she impatiently knocked again. When there wasn't an answer, Lily shouted loudly, "Leah, Rodney, I'm coming in!" _

_She opened the front door without embarrassment and stepped into the house, a wave of cool air conditioning soothing her burning face. The house inside was very neat, organized and stylish. The living room was painted an attractive shade of red and the kitchen a cool blue. Obviously, this house was very familiar to her, as she kicked her shoes off at the entrance and walked straight into the kitchen. _

_Lily wandered around the kitchen a bit, pausing to observe important letters stuck onto the fridge. She smiled at one of the letters, written by herself just a week ago. _

Happy 1st Anniversary Rodney and Leah! Remember to make me godmother of your little children. Sexy kids they'll be. Of course, I'm saying that in a totally non-weird way. Anyway, hope the rest of your lives are fun together.

Love, Your Darling Friend,

Lily Marie Evans-Soon-To-Be-Potter

P.S. Sorry, I couldn't help but gloat. Sorry, I know this is YOUR anniversary card.

_Her eyes were torn off the paper when suddenly, she heard loud, echoing footsteps and a door banging shut noisily, making her jump in surprise. _

_This time, her voice wavered nervously as she called again, "Leah, honey, where are you?" _

_Anxiously she began her way out of the kitchen and into the living room. She glanced nervously behind the couch and next to the TV, as if expecting Leah to jump out from behind them and shout, "Surprise!" _

_Suddenly, more faint footsteps were heard fluttering across the plush carpet and then a door creaking open. Or creaking closed? Lily wasn't sure. _

_"Rodney?" She called again. "Are you home early?" _

_When no one answered, Lily began to walk into the hallway. She laughed tensely, "You guys can come out now. I'll hand it to you, you've scared the hell out of me…" _

_Not that she had expected it, but nobody answered. _

_She paused in the middle of the hallway and turned to observe her reflection in a golden mirror hung on the wall. Her mirror image stared back at her with worried emerald eyes and a freckled face, her lips pressed tightly together in anxiety. Lily wove her fingers through her hair nervously (an action she had been doing a lot of lately) and, halfway through the action, her eyes went ridiculously wide in realization, even shocking herself. _

_Her heart pounding like a tribal drum, beating against her chest rapidly, she dropped her hand limply from her auburn hair and whipped around, as if expecting to find someone there. _

_"Shit, shit, shit," she cursed under her breath, biting her lip . _

_This anxious, fretful, frightening feeling in her stomach was very familiar. Very, very familiar. Almost as if she'd done this exact thing before. _

_"LEAH!" She called, this time not curiously, nor impatiently…_desperately

_"LEAH!" Lily screamed again, walking unsteadily towards a slightly opened door at the end of the hallway. Half of it was opened, revealing a slight glimpse of the room inside. It was a bedroom; Lily could see the windows wide open and part of the bed through the half open door. There was someone in the bed, someone in the covers, someone with long brown hair, someone who was not moving despite Lily's loud shouting. _

_Not realizing she was openly sobbing, Lily placed a shaking hand on the cold doorknob. _

_"Leah," she said loudly, voice wavering from her tears, "I-I'm going to count to three and then come in, okay?" _

_No one answered, and Lily closed her eyes. _

_"One. T-two. Two and a half. Two and three quarters…." Lily took in a deep breath, sniffing and wiping away the tears clouding her vision. "Leah, I'm coming in. I'm coming in and you better fucking be there playing a sick, cruel joke on me, okay?" _

_She took another intake of breath. "Okay...three." _

_Lily pushed the door open before she had time to reconsider, her hear pounding loudly in her ears and her mind a sickening blur. It seemed that she let out a piercing scream before her eyes even saw the scene before her, because didn't she already know what was horrible sight lay behind door number one? Yes, she knew very well. _

Lily suddenly woke up with a start, her mouth hanging open as if she had just let out a shriek- maybe she really had, she wasn't sure. Taking a deep breath and wiping the sweat off her forehead, she sat up in bed and fumbled for the light switch. Finally, the dark room was relieved with light, and Lily felt like she could finally breath. Calming down a bit, Lily pulled the covers over her shivering body a bit more and tried to recall her dream.

_Leah, footsteps, voices, Lily-Potter, and who the hell was Rodney?_

Yet, in the middle of the night with her mind not quite awake and her eyes still blurred with sleep, it was almost impossible to fully recall the dream. And even if she could, she had a feeling she would not want to.

She would just forget the dream, it was just a dream. It was better to forget it all together.

_"__You always seem to push your troubles to the back of your mind, away in a tiny little box to never again pick up. One day you really are going to end up forgetting, and then it'll all happen again because you never dealt with it!"_ Lily heard James' voice shriek at her, just as it had a day before. She ignored it- Lily had realized a long time ago that her sanity was lost.

Instead, she kicked her legs over the bed and rushed into the bathroom, switching the light on furiously and rushing to the sink. After throwing a hefty amount of cold water to her face, she returned to her bed and flicked off the lights, hoping vainly to find sleep again.

She didn't.

Whenever she closed her eyes she'd feel the dream boiling inside her mind, about ready to overflow into her consciousness. Whatever the dream was, she did NOT want to remember it. So she opened her eyes and tried to think about anything, really, even if the subject of her minds wanderings was James.

James.

On a normal night, she would have crawled out of bed and into his, but at the moment she felt that if she did she'd be a whore. Still, Lily was aware that regardless who he was dating or what mucky situation he was in, he would _always_ be there to help her out or comfort her. James had never told her this, it was just something she knew, just like she knew that the sky was blue and her eyes were green. Lily just _knew_.

Out of curiosity, she told herself; Lily fought against that icky part in her brain that told her NOT to go to him and tiptoed across the cottony carpet to the door to do so anyway. Placing a timid hand on the doorknob, she twisted it slowly and opened a single crack in the door. The room was pitch black and it seemed, from here, that James was asleep.

Daringly, she opened the door a sliver wider to catch a glimpse of James' sleeping figure, to comfort her nerves if just a little bit. Lily could only see his outline, his ruffled hair, face pressed against the pillow, and legs sprawled out rather ungracefully. But still rather cute.

"You can come in if you want to, you know," he mumbled suddenly, and Lily jumped just slightly in shock.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up," she whispered her apology, not moving a muscle.

"S'okay, I guess," he yawned, sitting up. "What do you need?" James asked groggily.

"Um…nothing really. I wanted to see if you were awake…comfort reasons, I guess," she laughed nervously.

"I am now. You might as well come in," he repeated, and this time Lily didn't resist.

Hesitantly, she slipped through the door and into his room, shutting his door slightly before scurrying over to the bed. Lily plopped down in its edge. Feeling a bit awkward, she lifted her legs and hugged them close to her chest as James sat up all the way.

"So, why do you come knocking upon my door at the ungodly hour of-" he glanced at the clock, "three in the morning?"

"Trouble sleeping," she mumbled, "bad dream. Again."

"Another one?"

"Yeah…"

"What happened in this one?"

"I don't remember, really. I don't want to either."

"Are you sure? Anything I can do?"

"Just…be here," she chuckled lightly.

"Alright," James said as Lily dug herself into the covers. He then hesitated before spitting out, "But Lily, I want you to understand something."

Lily stopped what she was doing and turned on her side to face him, "What?"

He paused again before saying, "You know I'll be there for you regardless of whatever circumstances I'll be in…but I want to make sure you understand that if it turns out that Mary is pregnant, that I can't…"

Lily helped him out a bit, "Kiss me? Snog me? Flirt with me?"

James gave her a shy grin, "Yeah."

_'But she's not pregnant,'_ was what she really wanted to say, but Lily realized that it was besides the point.

"It's a shame, but I understand," Lily said with a sad smile.

James couldn't put in words how much he loved her for accepting that.

"Lily, you're the best," he told her. Although James would have easily said he loved her that very moment, he decided against it at the last second. Maybe it was nerves, he had never told a girl that and meant it as much as he did now, he realized. Second, James didn't want to scare her away, especially now.

Instead he brought her face close to his and kissed her forehead.

"Goodnight Lily,"

"Night James."

James settled back into the covers and Lily snuggled in further, a small smile on her lips. She found sleep easily, not even for a moment thinking about shadows or the darkness or her malicious dreams in his presence. His steady breathing was like a comforting lullaby, and sleep was suddenly very easily.

Although they weren't even touching each other, James felt just as happy, maybe even more, than if they had been. It was as if just knowing she was there was enough of a good thing that he didn't have to. Now, James looked at her and saw that her breathing was steady and rhythmical, and gave a soft grin. He closed his eyes again and fell asleep, knowing that she was safe and right by his side, which was all he really needed.

I suck.

I wont make any excuses, even though I have some. I'm sorry. Please understand this is NOT AT ALL one of my first priorities…I've got a lot of stuff going on in my life right now.

But still, I'm really sorry.

Forgive me and review anyway?

I really am sorry.

Thank you for EVERYONE who reviewed, you guys are the BEST! I would reply personally, but the rumours are that FF doesn't allow that anymore…weird, but, I don't want to risk it.

I love you guys. Thank you soooo much for blowing up my ego when I really need it.

There was a lot of…paragraphs. I don't like this chapter.

Once again….I'M SOOO SORRY…I hope you enjoy this chapter though!


	35. Snogging

**Emerald Eyes**

_Disclaimer: I might take as long as JK to write one book, but I don't own HP anyway.

* * *

_

_Previously_

_Lily, James, and Mary speak to McGonogall about Mary's "pregnancy". McGonogall warns Lily that she's in danger becaues of her blood and relations. Lily has a weird dream. She crawls into bed with James.

* * *

_

"Hurry the hell up."

"No! I will take as long as I want in this bathroom,"

"No you will not. It's forty-five minutes until class and I'm still in my pajamas! Do you _want_ me to fail all my classes because I don't arrive on time?"

James was leaning impatiently against the bathroom door, Lily taking her sweet time inside.

"Yes, well, you should have thought about that earlier when I tried to wake you up."

James opened the bathroom door just a sliver and shouted in, "Shut the bloody hell up and just get out of the shower!"

With a small laugh, Lily hopped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her.

"Good God woman, you take forever in there!" James cried in exasperation. "Are you decent?"

"Decent. You can come in." Lily approved and James eagerly threw the door open and hurriedly stepped in.

Lily, dressed in only a towel, was brushing her hair in front of the fogged-up mirror. He stopped abruptly and began to whine, "Liiiilly. You said you were decent!"

"I am!" She cried.

"No, decent is NOT having half your ass hanging out of your towel and your legs totally exposed," James said, glancing at her nervously.

Putting her hands on her hips, Lily stared at him with a perched eyebrow, "And do you find these said body parts _offensive_?"

"No!" He cried defensively. "They're…er…very nice."

Although Lily was trying to maintain a serious attitude, an amused grin sneaked onto her face.

"It's just…it's rather…you know…rather….distracting. Not offensive, just…"

"I understand. I'll go fully clothe my body now, if you really want me to," she told him with a laugh.

"That'd be nice. I wouldn't be able to listen to any word McGonogall says if half your body is showing."

Lily just rolled her eyes and exited the bathroom. James let out a long sigh, thinking it would be a miracle if he could get through today without totally losing his mind.

"Looking good love," James commented as he strode into the common room.

Lily stood up impatiently, picking up her book bag with her, "It's about fucking time! Do you know how long I've been waiting?"

"Aren't you going to return the compliment? Manners, anyone?" He smirked, ignoring her and sauntering over cockily.

"Oh, shut up," she said half-heartedly, giving up as he laced his hands around her waist, bringing her close.

"What're you doing?" Lily asked curiously, but nonetheless rested her head on his chest and returned the embrace. He smelled like an intriguing swirl of cinnamon and something else, something uniquely his.

"Nothing," he replied innocently.

"Mmm…okay." She, being the shorter by almost a head, looked up at his hazel eyes with a lazy grin. "How are you?" Lily asked curiously.

"Nervous," he admitted.

"Don't be," On her tiptoes, she quickly placed a kiss on his cheek before taking one of his hands. "Come on, let's go," she ushered, squeezing his hand and pulling him towards the door.

"I don't want to go eat," James complained as they entered the hallway.

"You're a growing boy, you need your food."

"I'm not a _boy_!" He corrected impatiently, "I'm a man."

"You're seventeen, you're a boy," Lily laughed.

"A boy is a seven year old, I'm seven_teen_. I'm a man."

"Well you act seven!"

"Come on, can't you think of anything more original than that? Are you losing your touch? I think you are." James teased, now walking next to Lily instead of lagging behind.

"Moron," Lily insulted, glowering at him playfully.

"Loser."

"Dog licker."

"Yeah? Well at least I'm not dorky enough to coordinate my underwear with my clothes."

Lily gasped and smacked his arm, "I do not coordinate underwear and clothes!"

"Come on Lily, I'm your roommate, I know your dressing habits. I bet you're wearing white underwear to match your white shirt, I bet you anything," James smirked, pointing at her white tank top.

"Am _not,_" Lily insisted, blushing slightly. "Have you been watching me while I dress or something freaky like that?"

"No," he rolled his eyes. "But tell me, you are wearing white underwear, aren't you?"

"I guess you never will find out will you?" Lily said, pulling her pants further up on her waist with the hand not laced with James'.

He just threw her a rouge wink, "Oh, I think we will."

The comment just got him yet another condemning slap on the arm. Scrunching up her nose, she withdrew her hand from James' and crossed it in front of her chest.

"I don't hold hands with perverts," she informed him with a smirk.

James found the appropriate word for at this moment was 'adorable', but he was too embarrassed to tell her that. So instead, he leaned in and placed a quick, innocent kiss on her lips.

Lily looked a bit shocked but said nothing, biting her lip to restrain too big of a smile and looked away.

"Fine, I'll hold hands with a pervert just this once, because the pervert is a very good kisser," she gave in reluctantly, holding her hand out for him to take, which he did.

"See? I knew I'd win. Perverts always win in the end."

Soon enough they entered the Great Hall, where a hundred prying eyes watched in silent shock as the couple entered into the Great Hall. Yes, the _couple-_ they hadn't bothered to let go of their hands. They approached their usual tables with their friends already seated and looking at them triumphantly.

They greeted them and sat down, opening a space between Peter and Remus.

"Well, hello there!" Sirius cried as the two sat down across from him.

"Hi Sirius. How are you?" Lily asked politely, certainly in a good mood.

"Well I'm fine, and you?"

"Just peachy. Pass me the pancakes?"

"But of course milady."

"So, why are _you_ in an amazing mood?" Lily inquired, looking at her friends suspiciously. Then realizing they were all grinning widely, she repeated, "Why are you _all_ in amazing mood?"

"Well," Leah started, "Aside from the fact that you two are so adorable together," Lily rolled her eyes at her here, "do you notice anyone missing?"

Lily looked around, "Um-"

"Mary?" James guessed instantly. "Where is she?"

"In the Hospital Wing!" Remus exclaimed.

"Why?"

"We're not sure, but that's what the rumors are."

"Let's hope it's something good. For us, that is." Lily corrected nervously.

"For now we just need to stay calm and in a good mood. It's not going to help any if we're all anxious," Leah reminded.

"I have an idea on what will lighten our moods. How does going to Hogsmade tonight sound, ay?" Sirius offered.

"Sounds entertaining, yet I somehow see _you _getting a huge hangover and skiving off first period. Which, I might mention, isn't the smartest thing to do seeing as NEWTS are practically here."

"Ah, come on guys, where's your sense of adventure? A night of fun is what we need with all this NEWTS._ Please?_"

"I'm in," James announced in a heartbeat.

"I guess I am too then," Lily agreed with a sigh.

They all, a bit reluctantly, decided that they would attend. Sirius beamed with joy, "Good, that's what I thought."

Just then, they saw Professor McGonogall approach them with a stern look on their face. Sirius greeted her happily, "Good morning Minnie. How are you?"

Sending him a weary glare, she ignored Sirius' greeting and instead settled her gaze on James. "Mr. Potter, you're wanted in the Hospital Wing. We have some…news for you. You've got permission to miss part of your classes today, if necessary. "

After nodding to everyone else, the Professor left as briskly as she had arrived, seeming rather occupied and slightly distracted, with many things on her mind.

James gulped loudly and all the color in his face instantly drained, leaving him pale with frightened eyes. Glancing at his friends, who were now wearing sodden, nervous expressions, he put down his silverware and slung his bag over his shoulder.

"Well, um. I guess I'll see you guys later."

"Bye James," they muttered.

"Good luck," Remus said with a pat on the back, as everyone else nodded and muttered in agreement.

"Thanks guys," James gave a flickering half smile that wavered back into a frown instantly. He then turned to Lily, who mustered up a small smile.

"You'll be fine," Lily assured before leaning in to him, putting a gentle hand on his chin and giving him a soft kiss on the lips, which quickly lit up his face.

"Bye," he told her, wearing a dazed grin.

"Bye," Lily grinned back as James stood, running a hand through his hair nervously.

"Bye," James repeated again as he stood and began to walk away, a bewildered expression still on his face.

When he looked back over his shoulder one last time, Lily just sent him a smile which he returned, tripping clumsily over a frightened first year in the process.

Lily turned back to her friends and found them consumed in mirth. Leah was covering her mouth with her hand as she tried to suppress giggles, while the rest where busy laughing openly.

"_What!"_ Lily demanded.

"He," Leah started, gathering enough breath to do so, "is _such_ a freak."

"What? Stop laughing!" Lily ordered, although a smile was creeping onto her lips as well. When this comment made them laugh even harder, she resorted to throwing napkins at them.

"Leave me alone and stop laughing," she pouted.

Finally, Sirius took a deep breath and regained a bit more of composure.

"Wow," was all he said, chuckling.

"I don't get why it was that funny," Lily insisted, feeling as if she had missed something crucial.

"You kind of had to be watching," Remus said, wiping his eyes. "Let me assure you, it was incredibly entertaining. He's going to go see if his ex is pregnant, then you kiss him and he _trips over a first year."_

"It's not my fault I'm irresistible like that," Lily shrugged.

"Yeah, that would suck if Mary was pregnant, then Lils and Jamie would never be able to get married." Sirius exclaimed.

"And then there wouldn't be any cute little James and Lilys running around," Leah added.

"They're going to make the cutest kids _ever_," Sirius agreed.

"Could you imagine James taking care of a _kid?_" Remus asked in bewilderment.

"God no. If Mary is pregnant-"

"Which she's not," Lily assured.

"- then James is totally screwed," Sirius finished as if Lily hadn't interrupted.

"How do you know she's not pregnant?" Peter asked Lily.

"Well, Peter, I wouldn't expect you lads to know. See, sex is a beautiful thing, and when you get pregnant, you don't actually _know _until you-"

"Never mind, we don't want to hear it." Sirius interrupted, a disgusted look on his face.

Lily laughed, "Well Sirius, with all the seducing you've been at, you need to know how that illegimate child of yours will be conceived. Plus, I just know. She's not, she _can't _be pregnant with James' baby."

"Why, because you are?"

"Yes! I mean, _no._" Lily corrected.

"Wow. You and James have done more than we thought," Leah teased.

"Stop picking on me, stop it!"

"Lily, we all heard sexual groans coming from your room, just admit it."

* * *

"Mr. Potter, is that you?" The voice of Madame Cher called from around the corner. James stood meekly at the entrance of the Hospital Wing, wishing he could be anywhere but there. 

"Hi Cher," he greeted her with a half-hearted smile as she came into view, her weary face contrasting the bright blue robe she was wearing.

"Hello sweetie," she said sympathetically, giving him a pitying smile. She touched his arm gently, "Here, follow me." Her touch was gingerly soft; as if she was afraid that anything less tender would send him into some form of hysterics.

Madame Cher turned and guided him past the main room of the Hospital Wing, where a few sleeping students lay soundly. Instead, she led him into a small and unnoticeable room that seemed to blend in with the walls. If it hadn't been for the fact that James had been in there twice before, both times with Remus, he would have overlooked it or mistaken it for a closet.

The room had not changed a bit in four years, even the yellow daffodils were resting in the same dusty vase- they were plastic, of course. Nobody ever bothered to put in fresh flowers in the scarcely occupied room. There was a slit in the rock wall disguised as a window, but there wasn't much a view, as it was blocked off by an unkempt bush. A small bed was pushed against the furthest corner, where Mary, pale and clammy, lay resting.

"Is she okay?" James asked the moment he saw her shivering lips. He might not like her, but he did care for her safety. James sat himself down on the wooden chair across the room from her, cautious of the distance between them.

"Well," Madame Cher sighed, "I don't know what to tell you. She certainly is not all right, as I'm sure you can see. Cold sweat, throwing up, shivering…she came in this morning and hasn't shown any signs of improvement."

As if to emphasize her words, Mary bent her head over the side of the bed and lurched her stomach into the bucket next to her. James looked down, running his hand through his hair and closing his eyes, trying to imagine he was elsewhere.

Madame Cher rushed to her beside and affectionately patted her head and wiped Mary's mouth. "It's okay sweetie," she pampered, "It's okay, you're fine."

Mary showed no signs of acknowledgement of James, and he rather preferred it that way. Instead, she mutely returned to her stiff position on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Will she…will she be okay?"

"Yes, I'm sure she will eventually. She must be having some form of side effect to the pregnancy test. I don't know how that would be, unless…well, we'll see in a few minutes." Madame Cher glanced at the clock with anticipation. "We'll see."

James returned his gaze to the ground as Madame Cher frantically searched through cabinets and drawers, high and low. Finally she sighed, "Alright, we're ready."

Walking over to Mary's bedside, she bent over her and spoke as if Mary was a child, "Alright now sweetie, I'm just going to take an itty-bitty drop of blood from your arm, okay? It won't hurt one bit, I promise."

With a glinting silver needle, Madame Cher quickly dabbed the inside of her arm into the tender skin. Mary simply closed her eyes tightly and didn't let out one shriek, although by the looks of it, was tempted to.

"There, now that wasn't that bad?" Madame Cher cooed as she withdrew the needle, observing it pleasantly.

James curiously watched Mary, who winced and shuddered but said nothing. This helpless state he saw her in made him feel guilty, as if it was his fault that she was in this position. Which, if she turned out to be pregnant, was the case.

Madame walked over to the counter, where a jelly-like substance was resting in a bowl. Putting in a few drops of blood into the jelly, James watched with anxiousness as the red liquid created swirls, and suddenly turned the jelly blue. Madame Cher's back was turned to him, so the expression on her face was unreadable.

He looked down at his hands and realized he had unconsciously been digging his fingernails into his palm. Releasing his clenched fists, he tried to relax these last few moments before the verdict was announced. Honestly, he could not imagine marrying Mary, or having a baby with her, or ever being with her in some way or form again, after he knew what…well, what Lily was like.

"Well, that's not good," Madame Cher spoke nervously.

It was over.

James' head collapsed into his hands and tried his very hardest not to get angry or sad or scared, just to concentrate on taking a few deep, long, breaths. He looked up and asked quickly, "What?" Although he had a feeling he knew what.

Madame Cher turned around did something completely unexpected; she laughed!

"Oh darling, I didn't mean to scare you! The look on your face!" She chuckled again and James just stared at her, mouth slightly open in confusion and frustration.

"_What?"_

"Mary isn't pregnant!"

James felt his world suddenly get lighter._ He was free._ Relief flooded through him and he too let out a howl of crazy laughter, each ripple of mirth dissolving all the worries, nightmares, and sickening feelings he had been experiencing the past two days.

"YES!" He cried out, and Madame Cher smiled.

"This is wonderful news, James," she said, but her grin quickly fell, "The only problem is Mary."

"What?" He stopped laughing immediately.

"It seems she took a potion or spell in attempt to make it seem like she was pregnant. Not only will she get in serious trouble for that, but the chemicals in her blood are extremely dangerous and need to be rid from her system at once."

"Will she be alright?" He asked. In all the glory and revenge he felt upon Mary, he couldn't help but feel bad for her. Damn his humane heart.

"I don't know," she said honestly, now looking panicked. "Do go tell Dumbledore about the results, and send him here right at once."

By the time Mary was flooed to St. Mungo's thirty minutes had flown by. It was unsettling, seeing the normally talkative, smiling girl somber and quiet. When James had arrived with Dumbledore, Mary was sobbing, the first vivid signs of emotion James had seen her wear that day.

"I'm sorry James," was the first thing she spat out of her mouth the moment his face appeared in the doorway. "I'm sorry," she repeated helplessly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

James stood there awkwardly as she sobbed, sitting up in her bed, as Madame Cher and Dumbledore watched him. Did she honestly think that saying sorry would make everything alright? What she had done was plain bitchy, but he couldn't say that in front of his professors. In fact, he wasn't sure if he would said it if they were alone either, although he certainly wanted to. It would elate him to simply rant at her, throw insulting and degrading names at her like stones. But James knew he'd never be able to do that, knowing that one bad-mouthed word directed at Mary would scatter the remains of her already crushed heart.

Luckily it seemed Mary was not concerned in an answer, which spared James the trouble of giving her one. Madame Cher silently helped the girl up and supported her as they walked to her office in which a small fire was burning. Dumbledore wrote James a pass on a scrap piece of paper, telling him he could go back to class if he wished, or to take the day off. With a small smile, he disappeared into the fireplace, Madame Cher and Mary next. Madame Cher told him to take care before saying her destination into the fireplace and swirling out of view. Soon he was standing alone in the quiet room, the sizzling of the fire the only sound other than his deep breaths.

What was he going to do now? For the longest time, obstructions, excuses, and difficulties had been littering his life. Now that they had been swept off, he was able to look into his future with more clarity. So what now? The first thing he was going to do was talk to Lily, who he hoped would soon wear the title of his girlfriend.

Lily. His girlfriend. The thought was alien to him. Him liking Lily was an idea that had settled in, but his girlfriend? It was so easy, almost too easy after all these complications.

Finally, James glanced at his watch and realized that third period was just beginning; lunch was in-between third and fourth. Deciding it was too late to go back to class, he opted on taking a stroll around Hogwarts. He hadn't taken a walk on the grounds for what was, in his opinion, much too long. It was practically impossible with the fast pace his life had be running in lately. He exited the Hospital Wing in silence and made for the double door entrance.

The air was cold but he didn't mind it, winter was surprisingly his favorite season. You'd think that the summer, with all the late night parties and hot weather would be his favorite time of the year, but it wasn't. Something about the gentleness of snow and the hazy sky was much more comforting than a hangover or loud party.

James took a stroll around the lake and recalled the boundless memories that had taken place by the water's shore. It was near the lake that the Marauders came up with their name and along with it started their loyal brotherhood. The prospect of a secret alliance, where they brought mischief and adventure to their lives was attractive in every way it could be to eleven-year-olds. It was also at the water's edge where a pale second year Remus had told them his secret, and opened up a new depth of their friendship. It was overlooking the lake that they had transformed for the first time, revealing a realm of magic they had never before ventured in. It hit him hard, as he sat near the field of rocks at the water's edge, how much he'd miss Hogwarts after graduation.

It was only five more months. Five moths seemed hardly enough time to wrap up his Hogwarts life. Seven years worth, ending in five months? He remembered being a first year and thinking he was going to die before he ever graduated. Sometimes he felt like that when looking into the future, that he would never be able to live long enough for those precious milestone moments. Graduation, getting a job, marrying someone, having children with them, watching their children grow, such thing seemed so far away. Those moments of pure laughter that came with the gift of being young had sometimes given the faux impression that they would be young forever- that time was merely a crazy hallucination they had thought up. It wasn't like that anymore.

Tearing his eyes away from the lake and clearing his somber thoughts, James glanced at his watch. It was now twelve and he could almost imagine the students rushing out of their classrooms to the Great Hall. Hoping to catch Lily, he ran up the stairs and ran into the Great Hall, searching for signs of his friends. He saw them, gathered at the center of the Gryffindor table as usual. He waved at them from across the hall and they waved back, signaling him over. James ran over to them with a huge grin on his face, and once approaching them, threw his arms in the air and shouted, "I'M FREE!"

Everyone had known from the moment they saw him what the result had been, but they celebrated and congratulated with him anyway. Then, looking around, James asked, "Where's Lily?"

"Stayed a bit after class in Charms, she had some stupid smart question," Leah told him.

"Hey man, that's great. A celebration is even more in order now!" Sirius declared.

"Agreed. How about we leave at nine? We need to get there early,"

"I guess, but what about eight thirty so we get there at nine?" Leah proposed.

James, however, wasn't listening; he was looking around for a sign of Lily.

"Sure," he said absentmindedly. "Hey, I'm going to go find Lily."

"Have fun," Sirius smirked.

"I will," he said distractedly as he began to walk away.

He wandered into the Charms hallway, which was empty besides a few other people who were not Lily. James walked up to the Charms classroom and peaked through the window, catching a sight of Lily talking to the professor. She was nodding in understanding, her eyes concentrated and enlightened with an adorable sparkle in them. He didn't know what she was saying, but the way she bit her lip and formed her words delicately was irresistible. Finally, she gave the professor a smile and made for the door, and James felt his heart perk up considerably.

"James!" She cried in surprise as exited into the hallway.

"Hey," James greeted with a nervous smile.

"You're happy, that's a good sign right?" Lily laughed.

_Restrain yourself. Don't pin her up against the wall and snog her senseless. DON'T._

"Yeah," he laughed, "it is. She's sick, but not pregnant."

Lily gave a relieved sigh, "I knew that lying bitch was a lying bitch." She paused and looked at him with an affectionate grin on her face. "But she's sick?"

"Yeah, she was shipped off to St. Mungo's."

"Oh," Lily said, biting her lip, looking slightly worried. "That's not good…I guess."

"No, not really. But at least she's not pregnant," James pointed out.

"True," Lily said with a smile. "So…now what?" she asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

_Goddamnit._

"Well," he said, trying not to stare at her lips. Instead, he took both her hands and edged her towards the wall, "you could grace me with your presence on a date this Friday?"

"Oh, a date?" Lily grinned, "Well, alright. Anything else?" She asked flirtatiously.

"You could also agree to be my girlfriend,"

If possible, her smile grew, "Of course." She tugged him slightly closer. "And anything else?"

"Well…" James pretended to think. "There was one thing…but I forget what it was…"

Finally, loosing patience, Lily cried, "Damnit, James!"

Catching him complete by surprise, she tangled her hands in his hair and began to kiss him feverishly. Shocked but not disappointed, he eagerly returned it, pressing her against the wall. It would have gotten further hadn't it been for Professor Filtwick, hearing noises from outside the classroom, stepped out of the classroom and cleared his throat loudly.

James and Lily instantly jumped off each other, flattening their hair and clothes, trying to pretend as if nothing had happened.

"Now, I don't mean to interrupt anything, but could you please continue this elsewhere?" He asked with a smirk.

"Sorry," they mumbled.

"It's quite alright," the professor said with a mischievous look before returning inside his classroom.

The moment his door shut, Lily and James made contact and had to struggle not to burst out laughing. They linked hands and made their way out of the hallway, still wearing broad grins.

"I'm not hungry, are you?" James asked suggestively, perking up his eyebrows.

"Not anymore. Let's take the professor's advice and take this elsewhere? Saaaay, the broom closet?" Lily suggested innocently.

James' mouth dropped as she assertively pulled him into a vacant hallway, managing to mutter, "This is the best day of my life."

* * *

"Who was your first crush?" 

"Tony Santos, kindergarten. He was the cutest little thing ever," Lily gushed as she stuck another piece of chocolate into her mouth. "Who was yours?"

"Carolyn Jane. Kindergarten."

It was 8:15 at night and instead of hanging out with their friends, they were sitting under a blanket eating chocolate. It had been Lily's idea to make a fort, claiming that it was fun and definitely not immature. James went along with it, telling himself it was completely her idea and that he'd participate just to not disappoint her. However, he found himself enjoying their fort and the talks that took place under it. They were currently going through a round of "Questions", as Lily creatively named it. It was simple; one person would ask a question and the other would answer truthfully. They had been at it for about ten minutes, learning quite a bit of information about the other they had never known before.

"Do you believe in God?" Lily inquired, looking at James through the dark shroud of the blanket.

"Yes," he answered. "Do you?"

"I think so…somewhat. Who did you lose your virginity too?" Lily asked, trying not to sound too curious as she sucked the chocolate off her fingertips.

"Carolyn Jane," James repeated.

In the dark, he saw Lily perch an eyebrow. "The same Carolyn Jane?"

"The very same. Do you believe in sex before marriage?"

"Yes, but with the right person. Do you?"

"What a stupid question, ask me something you don't know."

"Alright…if you could make hot passionate sex to one person right now, who would it be?" She teased.

"You know that answer too," James said, a handsome grin appearing on his face.

"Yes, I know, but I just wanted to hear you say it,"

"Fine- you."

"Me? Why, I feel flattered."

"You should, it's not every girl that captures my attention like that,"

"I'm sure. Tell me, what have I done to deserve such a form of flattery?"

"Well," he said, "To start the extensive list, you're the kindest, nicest, sweetest, funniest, most exciting-"

Lily laughed meekly, "James, I didn't mean for you to _list_-"

"Hush," he told her, putting a finger on her mouth to silence her. "You listen. Now where was I? Oh yes, you're fucking gorgeous and beautiful and, frankly, anyone who wouldn't want you as their girlfriend is just plain stupid. Have I succeeded in making you self conscious enough yet, or should I keep going? Because I easily can."

"No, really, you've done enough of the flattery to get your point across," she laughed, inviting herself to sit on his lap, facing him. He was grinning as her shadow-bathed face lessened the distance between them, pecking him softly on the lips. She then wrapped her arms around his middle and kissed him lightly on the neck. The effect Lily had on him was amazing; his breath tightened, his heart pumped faster, and with every kiss it got harder and harder to control himself. Finally, Lily moved the aim of her kisses to his lips, which were crying for needed attention. She captured his lips into a rough kiss, sending him plopping backward on the bed as she mischievously crawled on top of him. The blanket previously covering them was thrown carelessly onto the floor, but they hardly noticed.

If Lily had believed that their drunken make out session had been hot, then this was beyond anything she could have expected. The way James' hands expertly traveled her body and the smooth way his lips beckoned hers made Lily well aware that he fully deserved his reputation. His hands were playing with the hem of her underwear teasingly, and she couldn't help but smile knowing that now anything they did wouldn't be unmoral, bad, or unethical- after all, she was his girlfriend.

As James' hands glided over the insides of her thighs, Lily hesitated for a moment. It occurred to her that if their clothes hadn't been on, they would be having sex. It's not that she had never been in this situation, it was more that no one had held such physical and emotional attraction that James possessed, there was so much it almost _burned. _That sort of passion was very new to her. Lily must have faltered more conspicuously then she had imagined, since James momentarily stopped his arduous kissing along her neck and dropped his hands from her thighs.

"Am I moving too fast?" He asked with worry.

Lily shook her head, "No, it's fine, continue."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes James, I'm sure," she assured him impatiently, already longing for his lips.

"Because if I-"

He was cut off by a quick but deep kiss that Lily placed to silence him. They broke apart and Lily couldn't help but giggle, which infectiously caused James to smile. He looked up at her, her green eyes sparkling joyously and her rosy lips shaped into a grin. Slipping from behind her ears, her auburn hair cascaded over her face elegantly. James reached out and tenderly tucked her hair back again, letting his hand drag down the side of her cheek lovingly. Goosebumps went up her spine and her breath caught in her throat, it was little, soft actions he made that always caught her like this. Lily had expected the flip-flopping of her stomach and the light-hearted effect he had on her to wear down after a while, but it was just as prominent as ever.

They locked eyes and sent each other affectionate glances, Lily blushing sheepishly under his intense gaze. James was the first person that, although romantic and sweet, also wanted to make her rip off all her clothes and his and do him wherever they happened to be. Sometimes he was cute, sometimes he was handsome, often he was sexy.

James rolled over, bringing Lily down with him. They were both lying on their side, feet tangled, lips clashing feverishly. Lily' hands slid from his hair, to his shoulders, to his chest, eager for all of him to be discovered. James, partially ignoring the part of him that told him not to get _too _wild, was switching from assertively kissing her lips to leaving trails down her neck and collarbone, hands traveling from her hair to up her shirt. With every kiss, Lily felt less and less shy, and apparently so was James, as his aim got lower and lower until he was kissing her stomach. Lily, having nothing to occupy her mouth, instead tousled her hands in his hair. James put a final kiss right above her belly button, making Lily sigh in pleasure. James felt her shiver under his touch and looked up at her with a smirk.

"You have a very nice stomach," he told her.

"Thank you," she replied. "Remember when we complimented each other's stomachs at your house?"

"I remember, but we weren't snogging were we?"

"No, we weren't. Such a shame. I don't like my stomach though, but I don't think many girls like their stomach anyway."

"I don't see why girls are so obsessed over their stomachs, really," James told her. "Whoever said that stomachs need to be finely toned and muscular was wrong, I like yours just the way it is." And to prove it, he placed a loud kiss on her stomach.

Lily laughed, "Thank you. James, could you come back? I'm getting a bit lonely with you completely on my lower half."

"But this is a nice position!" He protested, meaning how he was lying almost completely on her legs alone.

"If we were having oral sex, maybe. Come back," she pouted, extending her arms.

James pretended to be aggravated and crawled back up to her, kissing her on the forehead before he plopped down at her side. Lily scooted a bit closer, resting her forehead against his.

"James, you're amazing," she said sincerely.

James kissed her nose, "You are too."

It was right then, feeling her small arms around him and her soft breaths against his neck, that he realized that he was totally in love with Lily Evans. James could see himself ten, twenty, even thirty years from now waking up in the morning and finding Lily next to him, or kissing her lightly on the lips whenever he felt the need to. Realizing that he would give up basically everything for her, he was slightly scared but enthralled at the same time. Seeing joyous sparks in her eyes made him smile, every time she kissed him he felt beyond elated. Simply, all in all, he loved her to death.

There was nothing he wanted more than to tell her right then and now, but bit his lip, deciding the day you found out your ex was not in fact pregnant was not the best of timing. So instead, he hugged her tighter and settled on telling her the next best thing.

"Hey Lily," he whispered.

"Hey what?" She whispered back.

"I have a secret,"

"What is it?"

"I was right,"

"About what?" Lily inquired, gazing at him quizzically.

"Your underwear _is _white to match your shirt." Lily's mouth flew open in surprise, but she couldn't help but giggle as she swatted him. James winked, "I told you perverts always win."

* * *

**WOW. **

**I know that took years and years to do. I'm so incredibly sorry, but I am RIDICULOUSLY busy and SO many things are going on in my life. I'll try to go faster this time, I promise, okay? I just didn't want to string up a random chapter, which I hope this wasn't. Tell me how you liked it, yes? Feedback is always nice.**

**Thank you to ALL my reviewers. Now that FF has that new reply feature, I think this will make answer people's questions a lot easier. Thanks again and I love you all.**


	36. THE GRAND FINALE!

And from then on Lily and James became the natural couple

**Emerald Eyes**

**Chapter 36 (!!): The Grand Finale (two years late. Oops.)**

If Lily was intimidated by the glares and whispers she received, then she couldn't imagine how Mary was faring. Although Mary had the dignity not to show her face in public for a long time, it didn't keep the gossip from flying. In a matter of hours everyone in school was informed of Mary's scandal, sometimes elaborating and other times underplaying it. It was safe to say that many of her acquaintances and friends began second-guessing their relationship. James and Mary always looked like a content and trusting couple- how did they end like this?

Both party's parents were informed even after the pregnancy was revealed untrue. Mary received a mortifying howler in the mail from her angry guardians, ensuring that those not informed were now. Despite all Mary had done, Lily couldn't help feeling sorry for the girl when she scurried through the halls, trying to remain unseen. She hadn't spoken to Lily or James since the revelation.

James' parents wrote a long scolding letter giving a brief, written form of "the talk", as if he hadn't known before how babies were made. Still, his parents felt like it was their fault their seventeen year old had "done the dirty", and spent about another page informing him that sex was not a crucial part of relationships and that he should save those things for marriage.

Too late.

As for Leah, she was currently in and out of seeing a Muggle psychologist in London. Physically she was stable, but emotionally she was teetering. With all the stress in her life, she decided to break it off with Remus for good despite the fact the two were still in love. However, both were wise enough to leave their relationship platonic during such a stressful part of their lives.

Sirius was Sirius. Peter was Peter. Teachers still loaded them with studying.

Except for her drama with James and Mary, nothing had changed, yet everything seemed drastically different. Everything shed its pessimistic shadow and the things that once felt so stressful suddenly didn't mean all that much. James' formal addition in Lily's life cued a realization that not everything was as complicated as it seems.

Of course, that didn't stop her from worrying excessively about the test that would determine the rest of her life- NEWTs.

"What happens if I fail and never go anywhere in life?" Lily asked desperately, sitting stiff and nervous on the Head Dorm couch on the morning of the test.

James, who was fishing around for one of his shoes, paused to place a kiss on her head.

"You're not going to fail," he assured her.

Desperately, she turned to him, "Are you suuure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Now help me look for my shoe, will you?"

Lily reluctantly stood and began searching for James' lost footwear.

"Which ones are they?" She asked as she peered under the couch.

"The white ones with the white laces."

"Oh, those? They're in my room."

James stopped looking and turned to her with a quizzical expression. "In your room? Why the hell are they there?"

"I don't know, you took them off there," she smirked with amusement, folding her arms over her chest and walking over to him.

"Well, that would explain why they're nowhere to be seen," he sighed in annoyance and stood to face Lily.

They locked eyes and James snaked an arm around her waist.

"Let's go out to dinner after NEWTs," James suggested, looking intently into her eyes. He'd always loved her eyes, but had grown even fonder of them as their relationship grew. Those shining orbs lingered in his dreams, brightened his day, and expressed more than her pinkish lips ever could with words. He felt like a whipped sap, but it was true.

"After NEWTs? You know Sirius will probably want to hijack all the alcohol within a fifty mile radius and consume it all. He'd be terribly disappointed if you couldn't help," Lily replied.

James shrugged, "They can wait. Plus, we haven't been out in a while with all the studying." He grabbed her hands and squeezed them tightly and pleaded, "Pleeease? Pretty please?"

She grinned and gave a dramatic sigh before replying, "Very well, I suppose I can find time in my busy schedule."

"Good to know you still love me."

"Of course. Now, we really should get down to breakfast so we can go over last minute notes."

"You'll be _fiiine_," James insisted.

"Oh, I know, I know, but you can never be too prepared."

"Yes you can, and you're about to cross that line."

Lily rolled her eyes and tugged at his arm. "Shut up and walk me to breakfast."

"So now I'm your slave?" James inquired, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as he lowered his face closer to hers.

"Boyfriend, slave. The two words are pretty much exchangeable." She grinned, and as if to make up for it, gave him a quick but soft kiss.

He grinned. "Hey, why aren't _you_ my slave?"

"Because I wear the pants in this relationship, that's why."

"Oh do you?" James asked curiously. His hands teasingly dropped from her face to her hips, where her jeans rested casually. When his fingers teased the button of her jeans, she simply raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I do wear the pants in this relationship. And, as your owner, I demand you to stop trying to take off said pants and escort me to breakfast," Lily demanded, folding her arms over her chest with a pointed yet amused look on her face.

James let out a loud laughter and instead hooked a finger through her belt loop and kissed her quickly.

Still grinning, he grabbed her hand and walked her to breakfast, chatting about anything but NEWTS. At breakfast Lily's nerves began to rise again, as NEWTs was the only subject being talked about. Even her friends, who she hoped would share the same perspective as James, were going over notes like crazy. Their first test was History of Magic- a nice, boring, and grueling way to kick off the testing.

Lily poked at her food, James telling her to eat but her stomach telling her otherwise. Everywhere student's voices were frantic as the reviewed, asked last-minute questions, and cursed themselves for not studying more. Lily took a deep breath, convincing herself that she did all the studying she could have. Deep down she knew she had.

The bell rang and suddenly every seventh year went quiet. Remus, Lily, James, Peter, and Sirius walked together towards the dungeons where their tests would be given. Leah, who already took NEWTs (but had been sworn to secrecy by spells), took the day off of school.

Sirius sighed loudly, "Mates, promise you'll still talk to me if I fail this, alright?"

"Sirius, you and the rest of us know that you're not going to fail, so give it a rest, alright?"

Sirius shrugged, "Whatever. I don't care if I do well on this or not- I'm just going to take it and see what happens, right?"

"Right," answered Remus. They approached the mouth of the dungeon and took a deep breath, peering inside the dimly lit room as if afraid to step in. Endless rows of desks were stretched for an eternity along the room, looking bleak, sharp, and intimidating.

"Ready?" Lily asked

"Not really."

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The tests were visits from hell.

Lily walked out of her Divination tests, the last of NEWTs, quiet and solemn. Hands shaking and eyes heavy, all she wanted to do was go and crawl under her covers and sleep. Her mind raced back to all the information she'd stored in her mind and hadn't used in the test, and back to all the questions she had no clue how to answer. She may be one of the smartest in her grade, but what if she had gotten a little too arrogant in thinking she would pass all right? In fact, she was now trying to think of other enjoyable jobs that wouldn't require good NEWT grades. Lily supposed working at an ice cream parlor wouldn't require too much former education, and free ice cream wouldn't be too bad either. Hooker, maybe? Stripper? Drug dealer?

She walked out of the classroom alone, completely forgetting about her friends until she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and into a huge hug. Lily jumped, startled, and whipped around to see who attacked her. Sirius' large round eyes stared back at her, sparkling joyfully. Lily couldn't help but smile- Sirius always managed to cheer her up.

"Why are you so happy?" Lily inquired, failing to keep the laughter out of her voice.

"Lily! Don't you understand?" Sirius cried out in pure excitement, gripping onto Lily's arms and shaking her. His wild grin made Lily a bit unsure, what on Earth could make him so happy right now?

"Understand what?"

"THAT WAS THE LAST TEST WE'LL EVER TAKE IN HOGWARTS!" He shouted with excitement. Behind him, Lily saw the rest of her friends walking out of the dungeon wearing a grin identical to Sirius'.

"You will never have to walk into another classroom again afraid to fail a test, or have to spend hours studying for something you know you'll pass anyway! Lily, it's over! This is the end! Hogwarts is over," Sirius ended his energetic speech in a low voice, but with just as much enthusiasm.

Lily smiled a bit, letting reality sink in. "That _was_ the last test. We're never coming back here again." She looked Sirius in the eye, "We're graduating."

Sirius grinned, "You bet we are. Aren't you excited?"

She hesitated before answering, "Yeah, kind of." Was she excited? Did she really want to leave?

Before she could elaborate, James, Peter, and Remus arrived, their eyes lit up

"CONGRADULATIONS!" James yelled, pulling Sirius and Lily into a simulations hug. "WE'RE DONE!"

"And I am so ready to burn all my books. Who wants to make a bonfire?" Remus asked with a smirk.

"Me- you don't know how much I had to resist not to rip up my Potions book last night," Lily grinned, now feeling much more light-hearted. "How do you think you guys did?"

"A subject to bring up another time, Lily darling," James said, putting an arm around her shoulder. "Right now we will just focus on the fact that school is almost over, a reasonable cause to celebrate."

"Any plans?" Peter inquired.

"Oh Wormtail, must you ask? I've already planned a party at the common room- all houses, all night, great food." Sirius responded, then looked at Lily and James pointedly. "You _will_ be there, right?"

Lily and James shared a glance. Lily gave him an easy look, which James was able to interpret within a second.

"Yeah, we'll go."

"You will? Grand! Beautiful! I'm going to need a few hands to help me put up the decorations, but I promise you it's only a bit of assistance I need…."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hours later, Lily and James were laughing with a group of slightly drunk but completely elated people. Sirius made sure every seventh year was aware of the party in their common room, which had been going on for about three hours without slowing down. The Professors obviously knew what was going on, but kindly overlooked it like they did every year.

Lily and Leah were currently giggling as Remus recalled a story of the two of them in second year, vividly telling a group of people they hardly knew about their klutzy preteen moments. A long time ago those embarrassing moments were mortifying, but now they were positively hilarious.

"Remus, you make it seem like we were the only awkward second years in the whole school," Leah laughed.

A red head boy from Ravenclaw piped in, "I recall a little Remus Lupin having bad luck with his pants in Quiditch training, does anyone else?"

Remus blushed crimson and the rest of the seventh years exploded in laughter, knowing exactly what moment they were referring too.

"I made sure the seams of my pants were all intact for a year after that," Remus muttered.

Lily grinned, resting her head on Leah's shoulder as she chatted with her classmates. It was true that more than half of the people in this room were never her friends or even acquaintances before this year. It was a shame, really; they were wonderful people. There was no use regretting it now, but Lily wished she could have more time to properly get to know them.

Lily was sitting with some kids around a dimming bonfire, and from across the circle, she caught James' eye and sent him an affectionate smile. The sudden urge to kiss him pulsed through her veins, but self-restraint kept her in her seat. Instead, she zoned out to the pleasurable laughter of her classmates and the familiar voices of her most loved friends. Lily almost dosed off, but was shaken from sleep by James' voice in her ear.

"Has my honey muffin sweetie pie darling cakes fallen asleep?" He cooed.

Lily's eyes flashed open and she swatted at his face. She looked around and realized that everyone was gone, including Leah, and she was sprawled over the couch. James was leaning on the ground, head dangling over hers.

"No, I'm not sleeping," she yawned.

"Good, because we're playing truth or dare and we'd be devastated if you didn't play."

Lily sighed, "Well, okay, but only because it's the last few moments I'll get to embarrass myself in front of everyone."

James helped her up and hand in hand led her towards the seventh year boy's dorms.

Lily laughed, "Okay, did you just make this up so you could get me alone in your bed?"

"No, we just decided not to play in the common room."

"How is everyone going to fit?"

"Most of them went back now. You've been 'not asleep' for a while."

"No way," Lily cried in disappointment. "Did I miss anything?"

"Honestly, no. But if you don't hurry your arse up then we may."

They ran up the stairs and burst into the dorms, where about thirteen people were somehow crowded into the room. Lily knew most of them pretty well, and greeted them warmly as she sat next to Remus on Sirius' bed.

"Finally, Lily rises from her sleep and we can begin our wonderful game! We were just trying to determine who gets to go first before you so kindly joined us."

"Wait, before we decide that, shouldn't we have rules?" Lisa suggested.

Sirius rolled his eyes, "And the fun in that is what?" Lisa glared and Sirius gave in with a sigh. "Alright, the pretty lady here demands we have rules, so any ideas?"

"Nothing that will kill us," Peter suggested.

"Obviously."

"How about if you're taken you can't do anything besides a peck on someone else?" Frank spoke up, and Alice, his girlfriend, grinned approvingly.

"Good, good. Anything else?"

"You get one chicken."

"One? How about two!"

"One sounds good to me," Sirius confirmed. "I think that's enough rules."

"I think so too," James agreed. "Are we ready?"

"Yes, and I'll start." Sirius smirked, scanning the room for his victim. His eyes landed on Lily and he broke into a rogue grin. "You look slightly tired there Lils. How about something to wake you up? Truth or Dare?"

Lily groaned, "Truth."

"Wussy. Alright...hmm...its gotta be something good. How abouuuut….hmm. The question everyone has been _dying_ to know. Have you and James made sweet love yet?"

Lily couldn't help but laugh upon looking at everyone's curious faces and James' red embarrassed one. Grinning, she asked, "You know my sex life or lack thereof is completely my business, right Siri?"

"Oh come on, tell us!" Jeff, a Hufflepuff, implored.

She rolled her eyes, "Alright, well, no, we haven't shagged."

Some people around the room "Awwed" in disappointment.

"I remember when James used to brag about his abilities to get into a girls pants at tip top speed," Remus teased.

"Shut up," James mumbled and tried to hide his smile.

Lily laughed, "It's okay darling. Would it help if you were the next victim for Truth or Dare?"

"Not really," he smirked.

"Fine then, how about you Robbie? Truth or Dare?" Lily asked, turning to a Hufflepuff boy.

"I live in the wild side, I'll take a dare," he slurred, obviously drunk.

"Oh, taking a dare now are we? Well then…how about you run around the common room twice naked?"

Robbie blinked, "Are you serious?"

"Dead serious. Come on, you're drunk enough, aren't you?"

He ignored her last comment and sighed, "Fiiiiine, fine, I'll do it."

And he did without shame. The group gathered at the doorway, laughing when he tripped over a couch and patting him on the back when he re-entered the room. For the rest of the night he only wore his boxers, claiming he had felt so liberated it would be a sin to put on some clothes.

The rest of the night went by like this, with laughter, nakedness, revelations and generally fun times. Never had Lily felt so connected in time with a group of people she hardly knew. At this moment they shared so many commonalities it was impossible not to feel a sense of unity between them. They were all about to graduate and step out in to the shaky world they had observed from afar for so long. They were about to leave friends, memories, and a warm home that held safety and comfort for a darker world without boundaries. But that didn't matter right now, and they simply wanted to pretend it never would. They were just a group of children wanting to laugh, smile and love without worrying about the rest of their lives.

Eventually the night wore itself out and, although they did not want to sleep, sleep came for them. A few left to their respective dormitories and the remaining nine or ten decided to pile on the floor or a bed. By four thirty in the morning almost everyone was sound asleep, grateful the next day was a Saturday.

Lily lay next to Leah and James, to no one's surprise. She was completely exhausted, but in a way that made her feel completely relieved and alive. Smiling to herself, she grabbed Leah and James' hand and squeezed them both tightly as she tried to sink into sleep. Leah squeezed back, but her James was deep asleep.

Giggling, Lily turned towards Leah and whispered, "I love you from the very deep bottom of my heart."

"Love you from the bottom of my toes to my head," a drunk Leah giggled back.

After a moment of silence, Lily whispered, "Thank you for being my friend."

And she meant it from the bottom of her heart. Without Leah, her seven years would have been nothing worth remembering. Lily lay there as the night whispered outside her window and the soft breathing of her friends filled up the room like a song. She could feel her body warmth mingling with the warmth of the people around her, and that's when she realized that it's the people who you surround yourself with that make your life what it is. She had never been more grateful in her entire life for having people who cared for her.

"Thank you for being mine. I couldn't ask for anyone better." Leah smiled at Lily through the dark, her brown hair reflected by the moon peaking through the window.

Her heart full and satisfied, as if it had just eaten its favorite meal, Lily grinned and closed her eyes.

"Night, I love you."

"Sleep tight. Love you too."

Lily's mind fluttered into sleep, and although the next day she couldn't remember what she'd dreamt about, Lily was sure it was the best dream she'd ever had.

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This was it. This was it. This was it.

Lily inhaled deeply, closing here eyes as she heard the students chattering with excitement. She was standing inside a little booth to the side of the stage where she was practicing the speech she'd made, despite the fact she'd practiced it a thousand times before.

It was the day of graduation and Lily was dressed in a flowing white summer dress. The sky was a bright, cloudless blue and the sun was shining merrily; the perfect weather for the most eventful day of her life. Seven years led up to this moment, walking across that stage, shaking Dumbledore's hands, and knowing that the rest of her life was at her fingertips. The only reason she wasn't crying was because she'd already bawled her eyes out earlier this morning. She didn't want this adventure to end.

Returning her concentration back to her speech, she began to recite, "Dear teachers, parents, and fellow classmates, thank-"

"Still practicing that damned speech?" A voice said from behind her.

Lily turned around to see her grinning boyfriend slip into the tent. James looked handsome in a dark suit and yellow tie, his hair just as messy as ever. He was wearing a brilliant smile, and unlike Lily, was overjoyed to be graduating.

"Hi," she grinned, the butterflies at the bottom of her stomach fluttering into flight. They always did whenever James was around.

"Hello love," he said, and kissed her softly on the lips. He grabbed her tiny hand in his and asked, "How are you?"

She sighed, "The usual. I don't see how you can be so happy."

James shrugged, sat down on one of the chairs, and grabbed the pitcher of water to pour himself a drink. "I've accepted that this stage of my life is over with. I lived it to the best of my abilities, I don't regret a single thing, and I know what ever I do next will be just as exciting. I know I'll be okay because I have my friends, and I have you, and I have faith in myself."

Lily smiled, "Is that part of your speech?"

He grinned back, "Somewhat. But I thought it up!"

"It's a good thought," she told him.

"Hey, you and Leah wanna go on an all-night extravaganza later tonight? The Marauders are going on a tour of Hogwarts to end it all, and tomorrow morning after breakfast we're pulling the biggest prank yet. How about it?" He asked , a childish gleam back in his eye.

"Of course," she replied, but before she could continue, Dumbledore poked his head into their tent. He was wearing a fine, silk hat, matching purple robes, and a dazzling sparkle in his eye to top it all off.

"Ready Miss Evans?" He asked her, giving her a warm smile.

She sighed nervously, "I suppose so."

Dumbledore gave her a wink before popping out of the tent, and Lily turned to face James, who was now standing.

"You will be bloody brilliant. Dumbledore chose you to do the speech for a reason, babe," he told her after placing a kiss on her forehead.

Her head sunk into his chest. "You'll be great too, everyone will love it."

"How do you know, you haven't even heard it yet!"

Lily laughed as she snaked her arms around his waist, "So? Everyone loves you and that's enough for them."

"You flatter me. Now go on and deliver your speech and stop trying to stall by snogging me!" he said playfully.

Lily giggled and stood on her tiptoes to give him a few lingering kisses before finally pulling away.

"You're right, I have to go. Wish me luck!" She said as she cautiously exited the tent and walked up to the podium, where she nervously gazed at all the students, teachers, and parents gathered before her. It would have been nice to have family here, but she didn't dare dwell on that thought long. She glanced towards the tent and saw James, who gave her a thumbs-up upon catching her eye, and was suddenly filled with confidence. In the crowd she found Sirius, with his handsome hair, Remus, with his wise, kind eyes, Peter, with his eager smile, and Leah with her dazzling, laughter-filled eyes.

Love poured into her heart as she stared at the kids around her-even the ones she'd never known or spoken to, and even the ones she disliked. They'd done this together. They'd been together since the first day of first year, and here they were, on the last day of seventh year.

Lily grinned, and with fullness in her heart and soul, began her speech.

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"This is where I had my very first kiss."

The six kids were standing in front of an ugly portrait of a grungy looking wizard, who was muttering curses under his breath as Sirius stood in front of it.

"It was with Anne Roxby, and she was a third year, and it was pretty damn hot. This spot is very important to me because without a first kiss I would have never had a second kiss, and without all those kisses I would never have had sex, and sex is very important to me," said a grinning Sirius Black.

His friends laughed and Remus, who was holding 'Zonko's Permanent Marking Pen', handed it to Sirius.

"Mark it!" He said, and Sirius eagerly took the pen and scribbled his name under the portrait. "TADA!" He exclaimed, and everyone cheered.

They'd been doing this for an hour already. After three amazing speeches, thirty-two names, hundreds of crying parents, and a delicious graduation feast, the kids were let loose for their last night at Hogwarts. There were a few crazy parties going on, which the six planned to attend later, but right now they were roaming their beloved castle for the last time. They went through every corridor, talking about the memories they had in each one, and whenever they felt compelled too, wrote a message on walls and objects. Their markings would probably never come off, and Lily felt reassured that even after she was gone from the castle, her name would be written in hundreds of nooks and crannies throughout the entire school. They even wrote messages such as 'THE MARAUDERS PLUS TWO WERE HERE' through some of the hidden passages, and in hopes that a certain caretaker might find it, 'FILCH CAN SUCK MY DICK'.

And so they continued, making sure to laugh loudly and often as it was the last time they'd be able to hear their laughter ringing down the corridors. They made sure to commit every detail of their castle to memory so that they could have a mental recollection for whenever they got homesick. At about eleven they finally gave up their loitering and went to join the parties the seventh years were throwing, and once again indulged in a sleepless night of laughter and fun. The next morning came all too soon, and with only a few hours of sleep on their backs they still managed to find enough energy to make it through their last morning.

This was it, this was it.

The Marauders refused to tell Lily and Leah what their graduation prank was going to be, and while Lily pretended to whine about their secrecy, she was happy that there was going to be one last surprise. James seemed to know this too, and only smirked secretively when she asked him what the prank would be.

It was bigger, weirder, and crazier than Lily could have imagined, but it was so _them_ that she wasn't surprised at all. Just as breakfast was about to finish, she saw Sirius discretely wave his wand, and Lily eagerly dropped her food onto her plate because she knew that had to be the big prank they had been whispering about for weeks. A second later there was a resonating bang and the air was suddenly alight with multicolored fireworks blasting energetically over the students' heads. There were so many exploding fireworks at once that you could hardly hear the excited shrieks and laughter of the students, and for about three minutes straight the sky overhead was a battlefield of glitter and stardust. The fireworks stopped erupting and the students began to clap, and while the teachers did not join in even they were holding back amused laughter. And then, once the fireworks disappeared and the students figured the show was over, Sirius swished his wand again and the entire Great Hall burst into radiant, neon colors. The tables were neon green, the walls were a bizarre shade of orange, and even the floor tiles were bright pink and yellow. The sky above them, which usually reflected the weather outside, was now a swirling mix of different colors that flowed and twisted like a lava lamp. The students began to chatter and laugh even more now, and looked around at awe at the castle and then towards the Marauders, who were grinning not-so-innocently from their seats. They'd made their impact.

After about thirty seconds of letting this new radiantly colored Great Hall sink in, there was another burst of light and above their heads large, bold letters appeared and arranged themselves into a message. The air-borne letters read:

"BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOUR MARAUDERS, THE BEST AND MOST HANDSOME PRANKSTERS THAT HOGWARTS HAS EVER SEEN. WE LOVE YOU ALL, AND THANKS FOR PUTTING UP WITH US, ESPECIALLY YOU, MINEVERA (CAN WE CALL YOU THAT NOW)? IT'S BEEN FUN, HOGWARTS. PLEASE REMEMBER US FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIVES. WITH LOVE AND AFFECTION, JAMES POTTER, SIRIUS BLACK, REMUS LUPIN, AND PETTER PETTIGREW.

P.S. YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO CHANGE THE WALLS BACK TO THEIR ORIGINAL COLOR UNTIL THE SECOND DAY OF NEXT YEAR'S CLASSES, SO DON'T EVEN TRY. WE WOULD LIKE THE NEXT GENERATION TO KNOW HOW WONDERFUL WE WERE."

Glitter began to fall from the roof as the letters zoomed backwards and implanted themselves on the wall behind where the professors and Dumbledore sat. Sparkles of yellow and silver covered the students and teachers, and the room was alight with buzz and laughter once again. Even the teachers were laughing now, because as much as they hated to admit it, the Maruaders would be sorley missed. The four boys, with the broadest grins on their faces, finally stood and took their bow. The students clapped their heroes on energetically. Even if the Marauders hadn't written their legacy on the Great Hall's wall, everyone still would have remembered for the next seven years about "those crazy Marauders, and hey, remember their end-of-the-year prank?" They won their infamy, secured their legacy, and hoped that none of the people in that room ever forgot them. None of them ever did.

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Lily wasn't sure whether she cried or laughed the most that day, although she did a great deal of both. The end of Hogwarts was sad, but she was so, so happy, and she couldn't have asked for a better way to send it off. After hugs to her professors (who insisted she visit next year) and hugs to her friends (who assured her they would keep in touch), they got on the train left that beautiful, sparkling castle for a home that didn't feel much like home at all. They arrived hours later on the platform worn out and hardly able to grasp the concept that they had graduated. They were free to do whatever they wanted in the world now; their life was theirs. It always had been, but now their hands were gripped firmly on the reigns and they were more than aware of all the power they possessed.

James held her hand tightly throughout the entire ordeal. When she felt tears welling up in her eyes he kissed her cheek and stroked her hair, and whenever she laughed it made his grin widen to see her happy. Lily felt her love for him multiply with that one day alone, and she wondered if it was even possible to love anyone anymore than she already loved James. It took all her restraint for not to blurt "I love you" out whenever they locked eyes, and she would have if it had been the right moment.

They unboarded the train with a melancholy sigh, and the six gathered outside the train with nostalgic smiles spread across their faces. They looked at one another, at first not saying anything and letting silence do the communicating. Finally, Sirius broke the silence, although he struggled to find the words to express all he was feeling.

"Well, onto our next adventure," he grinned. Lily couldn't decide whether to smile or cry; his words were so true and beautiful and poignant.

"It was a pretty decent adventure," James played along, wearing a grin that matched Sirius'.

"I say we hit up a bar at Hogsmade next."

"Think it'll be more fun?"

"It may be," Sirius shrugged playfully. "We can try."

"How about this? Let's go to our houses, drop our shit off, and meet in two hours at the Leaky Cauldron." Remus suggested.

"Better idea: how about we screw Hogsmade, screw the Leaky Caudlron, and hit up a bar in London?"

"London sounds good," Leah agreed.

"Where in London?"

"Oh, I don't know. Ok, how about we meet at Leah's house in two hours and we'll decide where to go from there?"

"Agreed."

"Agreed."

"Done."

"Alright."

"Great!" Sirius clapped is hands. "Make it quick, folks. Just drop your shit off and put on some sexy clothes."

They began to walk towards the platform exit as a group, talking excitedly amongst themselves about plans for the night.

"Hey Leah," Lily called, diverting the brunette's attention from an energetic conversation with Sirius.

"Yes, darling?"

"Am I going to your place?"

Leah sent James a nervous glance and responded dumbly, "Uh…"

Next to her James interrupted, "Actually, about that…"

Lily stopped walking and turned to James with confusion. "What? What's going on?" She turned around to glance at Leah, only to realize that Leah had left through the platform wall the moment she'd turned her back. The sneaky bitch.

"James?" She said again, her eyebrows raised inquisitively. In the distance she heard the trains whistle bellowing and she was only vaguely aware of the few families clambering around the couple.

"Lily," he said, confidence seeping back into his voice as he took her elegant hands in his warm ones. James gave her a smile that sent her stomach into giddy flip-flops, and she wondered if that feeling would ever stop. She hoped it wouldn't.

"I…I meant to tell you earlier but I didn't know how, or when would be the right time or whatever," he rambled. Lily found it endearing and only increased her smile. "I bought a flat."

"You _what_?" She exclaimed excitedly, her emerald eyes shining. "Oh, that's so great! I'm so happy for you!"

"Yeah, and I want you to live with me," he said in a quick gust of nervous breath.

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"I want you to live with me. In my flat, well, _our_ flat if you decide to move in. You don't have to if your uncomfortable with it, I totally understand if you are. I mean Merlin, we haven't even dated for half a year, but-"

"James," Lily interrupted, her voice soft with affection. "Of course I'll move in with you."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a lingering kiss on his parted lips. "You stupid boy, how do you think I could have ever said no?"

James Potter flashed her his infamous, bad boy smirk. "Well, I never pick up my towels from the bathroom floor…"

"An annoying habit I'm sure I'll deal with."

"I sing in the shower."

"I know, love. It's disastrous."

"I can't cook."

"Are you trying to convince me not to move in?" She giggled, and kissed him again.

"No, I just want to make sure you're actually okay with this. Are you?"

"I admit I'm probably a little crazy for moving in with my boyfriend of less than three months, but I love you and I'd probably spend most of my days and nights in your flat anyway," she grinned.

"You love me?" He said in shock, a smile playing at his lips.

Lily's grin vanished and she looked nervous for a moment, but eventually recovered and said slowly, "That kind of slipped out, but…I do. I love you. You don't have to say it back, but I figure it was time you knew anyway."

James grinned doggedly and planted a series of kisses on her pinkish lips, holding her slightly longer each time.

"This is the best day of my life," he whispered into her ear. "My beautiful girlfriend is moving in with me AND it turns out she loves me. Who knew?" He kissed her neck tenderly while she laughed and then withdrew to look in her the eye.

"For the record, I love you. Horribly. I don't think it's healthy, but I suppose its something I'm willing to put up with if you manage to put up with me leaving wet towels on the floor."

Lily laughed and leaned in to kiss him again, relishing the taste of his lips and knowing that James was all hers. James kissed her back fully, her face framed between his hands.

"We're making out in Platform 9 ¾ ," Lily giggled, pulling away slightly.

"Look around, love, how many people do you see here?" He smirked. Lily looked around and, to her surprise, realized the only person on the side of the platform besides them was a disgruntled looking mother and a stubborn twelve year old boy.

"I'm sure we can think of a more convenient place to continue this," she suggested, raising an eyebrow playfully.

"Your place or mine?" He grinned.

"Oh, Mr. Potter, you are _hilarious_," Lily said with a dry smirk. "Show me this new place we're living in."

She picked up her trunk and James picked up his, and together they ambled out of the Platform with silly smiles on their faces. Lily paused briefly before crossing over the wall, tossing a look over her shoulder to the shining red train with plummets of steam pouring out of its top. It looked the same as it did in first year when Lily had clambered onto the gleaming train wide-eyed and hungry for world she did not know. And here she was, on a day she never thought would come, holding hands with the boy she never thought she'd fall in love with. Isn't it funny where life takes you? One moment you think you have your life all planned out…and the next your snogging James Potter on Platform 9 ¾, and you wouldn't trade it for the world.

"Come on, love," James called, tugging at her hand. He offered her a smile and repeated the words Sirius had said earlier. "Onto the next adventure."

And many adventures did follow, and as Lily found out, life after Hogwarts was not as difficult as she thought it'd be. There was so much to enjoy; her job in the Ministry as an Auror and the late nights at pubs with Leah and the boys who still called themselves the Marauders. There was the Order, and there was the passion in their struggle to win a war they'd been watching from afar all their lives. And of course, there was every moment with James, who had immersed himself so deeply into her heart that there was never a question, even through fights and tears, that she could never love anyone else more than she loved him.

And yet she was proven wrong with the birth of her son. James and Harry; they were the reason she woke up in the morning, and the reason she was able to smile in world full of hate. They were the two people she would gladly, willingly, happily die for in an instant.

It's not to say life was easy, because it never had been and it never would be. And yet their struggle was worth it, and while every sleepless night and every life lost hurt, the splashes of darkness could never outshine the moments of radiant happiness. Those memories are what kept them going. In a dark night when blood seemed to spill in vain, they just remembered the smile of a loved one or the laughter of a friend and they could feel again what they were fighting for. Lily had so much of these moments floating in heart that she wanted to wrap the world's fragile heart in her abundant love. She hoped that somehow she would be able to protect all she loved from harm; to save the world from hate and greed and every horrible thing that tried to touch it.

One day she did just that, but that story is all about a boy who lived...

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A/N:

AND THAT'S THE END!

Oh God, two years. I know. I know. Don't even look at me like that, I am sooo ashamed. To be honest, I had every intention of ending at that last chapter even though that wasn't the official ending or anything. However, I'm so astounded and happy and elated and greatful that people still read and review this that I felt like a nasty bitch and _had_ to write a proper ending up. I hate not having closure, so hopefully this gave it to you. I typed this mega fast so sorry for any mistakes. I hope you liked it.

Thank you EVERYONE who read this, even if you never reviewed or anything, thank you anyway. I really appreciate it and it makes writing all the more enjoyable. It makes me so happy to know that people read my writing  Reading back to the beginning of this story I realize how much I've matured in both writing style and a million other things, so sorry you had to put up with rusty writing. Once again, thank you a million times for every review and every read. They really make my day, and I say that honestly.

Let me know how I did. I'd love to hear from you! Haha and just p.s., if you have criticism on any of the previous chapters let me just tell you I definitely know they weren't the best. Criticize anyway, I just thought I'd FYI.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANDDDD:

I'm writing another story! I already have 100 pages written and I think it's so much better than this one, haha. The plot is better and the writing style is, if I do say so myself, quite improved. I'll post the first chapter within the next month or so. Here's the summary, for those of you who are interested:

_Lily Evans lives life at the top of the social circle, and as Hogwarts' esteemed Head Girl, is respected, intelligent, and popular among all. She's charismatic, friendly, and has the world waiting at her finger tips, ready to give her all the success she could dream of. Sure, her life is full of shallow gossip, social hierarchy, and hours of torturous studying, but honest to God, everything is great!_

_That is, until she sleeps with James Potter. _

_Ironically, they detest each other, but as Lily claims, "It just sort of happened." Fair enough. But what starts off as a casual 'no strings attached' shag or two ends up being more than Lily bargained for. For better or worse, James has introduced her to a few things she needed more of: thrill, adventure, and a detention record. Oh yeah, and a couple of Death Eaters, but since when has that killed anyone?_

It may sound stupid but I'm quite proud of it. As the summary hints, its more mature, but not in the overdramatic annoying emo-my-life-sucks kind of way. If you are the least bit interested I encourage you to add me to your author alert so that you'll see when it comes up. Just saying

And I take my final bow. Thank you readers, once again, you have made my life! Have a wonderful, fantastic day.


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